The Tempest
by MiniFFR
Summary: Allen Walker has become the Youngest General. Two years have passed since his time with the Noah Family and he still is struggling to come to terms with his inner turmoil. The war does not wait for him and he is thrust into a world filled with blurred boundaries once more as the war heats up. Tyki/Allen. Sequel to One Raindrop Raises the Sea
1. Chapter 1

**Thank you for reading **_**One Raindrop Raises the Sea**_**. That was actually my first fanfiction and I'm glad it did so well. This is its continuation, **_**The Tempest**_**. It's a bit rough, I admit it. I always seem to start out my stories kinda shake. But they get better, right? Please leave reviews telling me whether you enjoyed it, or if the characters seem too **_**out of character**_**. I accept any and all criticism!**

**Chapter One**

**An Unexpected Meeting**

Allen's skin was damp from his bath. He wasn't too impressed by the new hygienic system; he had enjoyed the showers far more. Unfortunately Komui was the Branch Head of the European Branch and Komurin had destroyed the wonderful showers. The young General supposed that he would rather have the showers destroyed, if it meant that Jerry's kitchen remained intact. The boy sighed reluctantly as he picked up his Exorcist coat and began to pull it on. He stuck an arm through one sleeve, and tried to do the same for the other sleeve. Allen found that he couldn't quite put the coat on; the shoulders seemed to have shrunk. The boy took it off to inspect the uniform. Lavi wasn't averse to pranks, afterall..

There wasn't a single flaw. After a moment Allen shrugged, dropping it on the bed in order to retrieve the last piece of his daily outfit. The pressed pants were on, his shirt was in place, and his vest was buttoned up. The white haired boy picked up the faded ribbon from its post on the bed frame. He tied it about his throat as if it were similar to a tie.

Not for the first time, Allen wondered why Tyki had picked that particular color for the ribbon. Scarlet was a passionate shade that symbolized dozens of expressions. One such embodiment it carried was the very emotion he felt towards his enemy: _love_. Although the ribbon's color had faded to a blood red, it was still steeped in meanings that the boy could not quite decipher.

Allen shook his head in order to clear his thoughts. His warped hand scooped up his coat from his bed. He had to talk to Johnny about this problem before he could eat. He could think of several people that would scold him for walking around without his General's coat on. It did no good, thinking about what had been and what could have been. Tyki was his first crush, and his first rejection. There was no changing the past. He had to keep walking forward.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

The boy's eyebrows arched in surprise.

"You're saying that I've grown?" Johnny Gill nodded his head quickly.

"Yes. We originally designed your uniform to have growing room for you through the years. Using that information alone, I would say that you are at least six inches taller, and four inches broader in your shoulders." The scientist studied the Black Order coat. "We also made a hood on it because General Cross told us you were self conscious about your appearance, but you haven't seemed to use it a lot. Would you like your new uniform to have a hood on it?"

Allen chuckled. The Noah _had_ gotten rid of his uneasiness concerning his unusual features. He had gone in as a shy person, and come out as one who did not care about what others thought of him. He had confidence in himself now, and took pride in every aspect of his body. Even the arm made of Innocence.

"Go ahead and leave the hood off," he replied. Allen looked down at his hand thoughtfully. "A pair of gloves would be useful, though. "

Johnny wrote down the specifications of his client on a note pad. Then he took out a tape measure, beaming at the boy. The young General sighed as he lifted up his arms. The scientist got to measuring all of Allen's new sizes.

"Allen, you've gained some weight!" The boy perked up at once.

"Really?" he asked eagerly. Johnny squinted at the number.

"Oh. No. Sorry, I misread the number. You've actually lost weight." Allen groaned. He had doubled the amount of food he ate when he began to use his Innocence more. He couldn't force aby more food down than that. It was a bit worrying that he was still losing weight even after that. The General decided that it would be wise to talk to Komui about the matter.

Allen wallowed in self pity; Komui would most likely do something strange to his arm (it wouldn't be the first time). He could still remember what it felt like to have a drill piercing through the skin of his arm. The boy's stomach growled loudly.

"I want to eat at this restaurant in London. It has the best fish and chips I have ever tasted," Allen groaned. Johnny pushed his glasses further up on his nose.

"Why can't you go?" he wanted to know. "You have three days of vacation, don't you?"

The white haired boy froze. His mouth dropped.

"I have vacation?" he exclaimed in shock. When the scientist stammered out confirmation Allen gave a cry of jubilation. He hadn't been to London in years. The restaurant he wanted to visit was the one he and Sheryl used to go to. He had been thinking about its peaceful atmosphere and delicious food for a while now. And if he was honest with himself, Allen also wanted to be closer to the memories he had when he was...Ash.

"I get to go to London," he whispered excitedly, looking more like the fifteen year old boy that he was.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Allen watched the people walking on the sidewalks along the streets. He had chosen a seat outside the restaurant in order to observe the peaceful life that knew nothing of the war between Exorcists and Akuma. He found it endearing to see a woman being courted by a young man full of adoration, to see a mother with her little child, and to witness young boys beating hoops down the streets. Allen had always envied these people. As an orphan in the circus, he had no ties. Even by Mana's side, he could not make friends with other boys his age. Everything that Allen Walker saw on the streets, he had only ever experienced with the Noah. It left a nostalgic scar upon his heart, but it also had a sweet after taste.

A waiter came to Allen's table, depositing the cool glass of water, a lemon in its depths to flavor it.

"Your food will be out in another twenty minutes, sir." The boy thanked him graciously, dismissing him politely. He returned to his viewing of the mundane people, content to watch from a distance.

"You look older, Shounen." Shivers ran up the boy's spine when he heard that terribly familiar voice. It sounded far richer than he remembered. He didn't turn to look immediately. He simply savored the sound of his favorite voice as it reverberated in his mind. Once his system had completely overloaded, Allen faced the Noah.

Tyki stood in front of the table he was seated at, clad as the gentleman he always tried to portray. He looked older than Allen remembered. That wasn't too surprising. The man was young, only just now maturing completely. It was a good look for Tyki and the boy couldn't help but feel jealous. He remained the same. Skinny, pale, short. There was no comparison between this man and him.

There was one last thing that Allen observed about Tyki. The Noah of Pleasure once had eyes that twinkled playfully. At present, Tyki looked into the young General's eyes resolutely. His eyes burned with a hatred that rivaled anything the boy had ever seen. It hurt him to think that the man he liked could hate him so easily and so strongly.

"It's been a while, Tyki Mikk," Allen greeted quietly. He kept his voice as neutral as possible. He would not show his enemy how bothered he was. That would only give Tyki satisfaction. Allen wanted Tyki _to suffer_ for having the audacity of looking at him so cruelly after the man had rejected him. If Tyki hadn't acted that way-

Allen squashed his train of thought. He didn't even know what to think. Tyki made it so hard, ignited wicked ideas in his mind that he shouldn't have.

"I thought it would be nice to have a little talk," the man said slyly. "After all, you were once the guest of my family."

"If by guest, you mean prisoner-"

"I mean that you were our doll. Or have you forgotten all of that?" Tyki interrupted. Allen knew he had a choice to make. To let Tyki know he remembered every moment he spent with the Noahs, or to lie about it. Obviously the man was uncertain.

Cross's parting words came back to Allen.

_You can't hesitate in this war, Allen. Everything is fair. Don't let your heart get in the way of doing what is right._

It would be easier just to settle the Noahs' doubts without raising turmoil. Allen met Tyki's gaze.

"I don't remember a single moment," he lied. "I may as well have been your _guest_, as you put it."

Whether Tyki felt grief, despair; Allen couldn't tell. He only knew that the hatred grew. The man's hatred grew wild, barely restrained.

"What have you come to talk to me about?" the boy asked, hoping to change the subject. "Surely it wasn't about "fond" memories."

"Allen Walker," Tyki whispered as he leaned forward. His breath rasped against the ear of the young General in an almost intimate manner. "You are my prey. Not Road's. Not the Earl's. Not even the twins'.

"I have been allowed to tell you this: your existence has become a personal annoyance to my family. Yours is a light that will soon be extinguished."

Allen pushed the man away roughly and glared at him.

"You came all the way here to tell me that?" he demanded angrily. That face-eating grin spread over the swarthy face.

"Of course. After all, you are the first one we will hunt when we set the wheel of war into motion once more." Tyki suddenly summoned a Tease. "You are already marked by us. You just have to wait for me to receive the order to kill you."

Allen felt no fear hearing those words. Only dread.

The Noah of Pleasure crushed the Tease in his hand as if it had been Allen's throat. He stood up from his seat. "Farewell, Shounen."

Allen watched him walk away with conflicting emotions in his chest. He swallowed hard, ignoring the water before him.

In Italy, a blonde girl clung to the arm of her aged companion. They both wore ragged cloaks and were focused on the sight before them.

"There are men on the horizon, Guzol," the girl whispered. "Men are coming to Mater."


	2. Chapter 2

**It would seem that you all really enjoyed the first chapter of this fic. I'm glad, because it seemed so rough when I typed it up last night. I wanted you all to know that this part of the story will have parallels with the book, so I will try to summarize the major parts in one chapter, such as Lala's story. That is why this chapter may seem sparse and rather uneventful. It is pure business. But I also don't want to end up with like a thousand chapters. That would be terrible! **

**Chapter 2**

**A Lonely Land**

Komui summoned every Exorcist in the Head Quarters to his office. At the time, there was Bookman, Lavi, Lenalee, Kanda, and Allen present at the summons (although Allen still had a vacation day).

"There seems to be something concerning you," Bookman observed. The Chinese man sipped his steaming cup of coffee. From the dark smudges under his eyes, it was easy to guess that he had pulled an all-nighter.

"There has been a troublesome increase of Akuma activity around the world," he admitted. "It was discovered just as I was putting together a mission. Since our Exorcists have been spread thin, I will need two volunteers to go to Italy. The rest of you will be spread across Europe and possibly the Middle East."

Kanda 'tched', crossing a leg as he was seated. Komui translated that as Kanda volunteering and wrote down the young man's name. He looked over the others, hoping that someone else would go, although Kanda alone was probably enough.

Allen put up a tentative hand. He was still feeling depressed from his meeting with Tyki and felt that going on a mission might take his mind off of things, namely a single Noah of Pleasure.

"Allen and Kanda," Komui sang. "I don't think you two have ever been on a mission together. Considering how much you two fight, I hope nothing goes wrong."

The Branch Head looked at Allen with an appraising eye. "You'll need to borrow someone's uniform while a new one is being made for you."

The boy turned to his friend Lavi. The eighteen year old looked at him blankly.

"What? Yu is closer to your height than I am," he complained. Allen continued to stare at him until the red head sighed, taking off his coat. Allen took it with a bright smile.

"Why thank you, Lavi!" he said. The boy slid it on, unsurprised to see that it was about the length of how his uniform used to fit, although it was significantly bigger than his other coat. Allen reluctantly buttoned it up.

"No problem, Moyashi," Lavi returned sweetly. "I am so sorry it doesn't have any of the gold buttons or trimming you're used to."

Komui ignored the friendly banter and handed out the dossiers to the two Exorcists that would be going to Italy. He then pulled a map down, seemingly from nowhere, and pointed to a random spot.

"In an old city called Mater, many Akuma have gathered," he announced. "We managed to send Finders in their before they arrived, however they stand little chance of surviving there without the presence of an Exorcist."

Allen tilted his head curiously. To him, it sounded an awful lot like a rescue mission. The Black Order rarely sent out rescue missions, and even then it was to save the lives of Accommodators only.

"There is Innocence there, is there not?" he asked. Komui's knowing gaze confirmed the boy's suspicions. OF course the Finders would be expendable. The only thing that the Vatican cared about was the war. Even the Exorcists were expendable to them and they were the way to win this war. As a General, Allen knew this better than most, but it still hurt to think that no matter how much people fought, how many people died for their cause...nothing changed. In the aspect of humanity, the Order and the Noahs were quite alike.

The white haired boy looked at the portfolio containing his mission. He found it ironic that the city was named Mater. In Latin, Mater meant mother. From what he read, that city was like no mother he had ever heard of.

"We will leave now," Allen said loudly. "Come on, Kanda. Let's go."

**8675309867530986753098675309**

Kanda had refused to accept Allen's help and ditched the boy once they had reached the city's outskirts. There were only three Akuma, although one had become a Level 2. Kanda was sure that Level 2 was the real cause for all of the bodies that littered the ground. The Level 1 only left dust. He activated Mugen, jumping down to attack the unsuspecting Akuma.

"Netherworld creatures 'Ichigen'!" he called out. The swarm grew from the tip of his blade and arced towards the Akuma. They sliced right through the spherical armor of the two Level 1s. The third Akuma scowled, drawing into the shadows and disappearing. Kanda moved to the side of the last surviving Finder, a man beaten to a bloody pulp on the ground.

"What's the password?" he asked gruffly. The Finder's head twitched as he tried to get a good look at Kanda's face.

"You...came...Exorcist," the man breathed. Kanda was about to give him a rough reply when a pale hand reached past him to clasp the Finder's.

"Please tell us the password so that you all won't have dies in vain," Allen said softly. He wore the smile of an angel on his face, though Kanda couldn't help but notice that it was tinged with a bit of sadness. The Finder smiled.

" Have Hope," he whispered. The man's smile slipped from his face as he breathed his last breath.

"I told you that I didn't need help," Kanda told Allen. The young General ignored him.

"Go ahead and take them someplace safe," Allen said as he gestured towards the barrier. When his silver eyes fell on the two, his gaze softened. He could see the love they had for one another. "I'll stay behind to put all of the Finders' bodies together."

The older Exorcist grunted, making his way to the barrier.

"And Kanda," Allen called. "You have all of the time in the world. If the doll has a last wish, try to grant it."

Kanda scowled, but showed no signs of disobeying the orders he had been given.

Allen began dragging the heavy bodies of the Finders together. He laid them side by side, with their arms crossed over their chests. About ten minutes after his partner left, the boy's eye activated in the presence of the Level 2 Akuma.

"I know your face," it laughed as the young General wiped his hands together, the blood staining the pale skin. "I saw the Earl with you. A lot has happened in the last two years for him to hate you as much as he does. How old are you now?"

Allen turned to face the Akuma. "I'm fifteen." He eyed the tortured soul, thankful that it did not have the worst appearance he had ever seen. "Would you like me to help you?"

The Akuma laughed again, this time incredulously.

"I don't think you'd be willing to help me," it said. Allen's black arm transformed into a large sword, one that looked mysteriously like the Earl's. He gave the Akuma a lying smirk.

"You're looking for Innocence. I can bring it to you." The boy surged forward in a blur, ramming the sword through the Level 2 Akuma's body. Allen looked up to watch the soul become freed, then watched as it faded away. He closed his eyes as the sweet sound of singing filled his ears. He didn't understand the words, but it was a beautiful melody nonetheless. From it he could see the history that Lala and Guzol had between one another. He was glad that Kanda had chosen to let the doll fulfill her wish.

"I always knew that BaKanda was a softie at heart," he sighed pleasantly, making his way towards the beautiful noise.

**%$#^^&**(*(^&&%$#%^^7**

Allen sat with Kanda on the steps of the building where they had put Lala and Guzol. The General had asked his companion the status of the old man and the doll.

"He is still alive," Kanda replied. "That old man told me that he will rip her heart out right before he dies, and then we could have her Innocence."

He looked at Allen, recognizing the sympathy in his eyes.

"You're too soft," Kanda muttered angrily. "You always do things like this when it makes you more sad than before."

Allen's head rested on his knees. "I know that more than anyone else. After all; this is my atonement."

Both teenagers' eyes widened in surprise when a breeze rushed through, carrying the dying notes of Lala's voice with it. Allen hesitated for a moment, then he stood up. He walked into the building where the girl sat on her feet, Guzol's head in her lap. Lala turned her head to smile at them.

"Thank you for letting me sing," she said warmly. "I was able to keep my promise." Allen caught the doll as she fell to the side. In her chest was a gaping hole where the Innocence had been pulled out part of the way. The boy recalled a certain had that had done something similar and cradled her close to his body.

"You have sung for five hundred years. You deserve to rest in peace," the boy told her softly, pulling the Innocence out the rest of the way. It tingled in his hand.

Kanda approached the scene silently with a blank expression on his face. He watched as tears slid down Allen's face.

"I've told you before and I will tell you again: I _will_ be a destroyer that saves people."

Kanda wordlessly grabbed Allen by the arm and pulled him up, taking the cursed Innocence from the young General's hands. He knew Allen was strong, and that he wasn't worried about the white haired boy. Kanda simply wanted to go home the Black Order where he didn't have to see Allen crying. It felt wrong to see the boy who could annoy him so easily...cry.

No, Kanda wasn't worried about his superior, a boy three years younger than him. He probably would never be worried for Allen. Or that is what he continued to tell himself.


	3. Chapter 3

**I apologize. We lost internet, I meant to update on Monday. FYI, I will be studying Latin starting Wednesday, do not be surprised to see a late chapter update. And please don't hget mad at me for Crowley's name. There are several variations for Alistair that I just picked this one (Arystar Krory is the way it is sounded out, but I am pretty sure it is supposed to be Alistair Crowley, stupid English translation).**

**Chapter 3**

**The Acquisition of Alistair Crowley**

"Road would like to talk to you, dear," Tricia said in a gentle voice. Sheryl looked up at the girl hiding behind her mother's skirt. Road seemed to be taking advantage of her act, seeking out the comfort of another's presence. He frowned, pushing aside the work that he had brought home.

"Of course. Come here, sweetie." Road scampered over to her father. Tricia left them alone in the room with a worried expression on her face. The girl climbed onto her father's lap and leaned against him.

"What has happened?" Sheryl asked.

"I met Allen in Germany," she answered in a low voice full of remorse. The Noah of Desire's kind smile faded. "He has grown; he stands a bit taller than me now, and he has much broader shoulders. When I touched his arm, I could feel the muscles beneath his uniform. The Order made him a General."

Sheryl drew in a sharp breath. There were only five of them, and they were the Earl's main targets. The Order had already dispatched the Exorcists to find the Generals and guard them. Sheryl had never expected them to make _Allen_ one, considering how young he was. Then again, if the Innocence could choose a child as its Accommodator, then the Order could choose a child to fill in the place of a General.

"How did your meeting go?" the man asked his daughter. He was reluctant to admit that despite his hate for the boy, he also felt an affectionate sort of curiosity about his well being. Road would undoubtedly have acted cruelly towards Walker.

"Well, I had an Exorcist doll, and an Accommodator in my hands. Just as I was about to kill the simpering moron nailed to her clock, he appeared out of the blue. I was surprised, because my Akuma had only seen one Exorcist. We lured her away from that woman, and were going to play with her a bit." Road shook her head. "I'm not entirely sure how he broke into my dimension, but he approached me without hesitation. Allen spoke to me as if we were two civilized people trying to barter for merchandise."

Sheryl pinched the bridge of his nose. "Please tell me that you didn't just hand them over."

Road laughed at the idea.

"Of course not! I had the Akuma secure him, and toyed with him a little. He let me, although how you can stand someone cutting along your scar with a candle is beyond me." The girl's eyes clouded. "You know, we never did understand whether or not he has memories of us."

"He doesn't," said Sheryl. "Tyki met him in London a week or two ago and asked. Surely you can read the boy's mind?"

Road shook her head. "That's just it. I can't read anything from him. I can't talk to him either. He is completely blocked off from my influence. It's strange. Allen Walker could never do that, but Ash could. That's why I was confused."

Sheryl rubbed his jaw thoughtfully.

"You said this was in Germany? If I remember correctly, Tyki has stopped by in a place near to the one you were at. He was there to investigate an Akuma that the Earl believed was growing independent."

"How rare," the girl murmured. "Did this Akuma have a name?"

"Eliade," Sheryl replied.

*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*%*

Lavi watched as Allen scrubbed off the marker on his face.

"For a General, you seem kind of...overestimated," he remarked. "A Noah scratches up your face, Lenalee kicks you frequently-"

"I let you draw on my face," the boy finished drily. The red head gave him a vibrant smile, confirming the statement. Allen sighed, drying his face off with the sleeve of his new uniform.

"As Bookman's Apprentice, you understand the concept of ulterior motives. If Miranda did not feel obligated to help those who helped her, she would never have been able to invoke her Innocence. The situation also could have been worse." The young General peeled away the bandage over his eye, opening it carefully to look at Lavi. "The Noah did not want to maim or kill me so I saw no harm in letting her do as she pleased."

The red head saw Allen's logic and was a little disturbed that the boy was thinking so far ahead, in such a calculative manner. He thought that the boy simply had a martyr complex. The way Kanda talked about his missions with the Moyashi, he certainly made it appear like that.

"So why are you letting Lenalee beat you up?" he asked.

"She is my friend, and she is mad at me for thinking 'selfishly' as she put it." Allen shrugged. "It's my punishment."

Lavi briefly wondered if this General was a masochist. No one else would take Lenalee's punishment without running away. Maybe it was just Allen's sense of honor.

"What about letting me draw on your face?" he wanted to know.

"I simply felt too lazy to do anything to stop you. I did have an interesting reunion with the girl who was my sister for eight months," he pointed out. Allen glanced at his reflection briefly, unable to look at it for too long. "Komui told you about your mission."

Lavi made a face. "Panda and I are supposed to guard you while you assist Lenalee in her search for Cross. How we are supposed to do that without Timcampy is beyond me."

"Something is pulling me East," the boy said in a quiet voice. "I've never had this feeling before, but I am hoping it is either Tim or my Master calling."

Someone began banging on the door, startling both teenagers.

"Hurry it up, you two, the train is arriving!" shouted a girl's voice. Sure enough, they heard the whistle of an incoming train. Allen gestured for Lavi to leave first. The moment he was along, Allen looked once more at the reflection in the mirror. He could see his own pale face, and behind it was a faint cloud of darkness behind his shoulder. Every day that passed, the shadow began to grow a little darker, more substantial. Allen really didn't know what to make of it.

The General sighed, turning to walk out of the bathroom. He saw the bustle of people boarding the train and hung back until the crowd died down enough for him to approach. A hand grabbed his left arm, jerking Allen slightly. The boy was shocked to find a creepy old man dragging his smaller body towards him. The boy would have hit the old man, but then he saw the senior's mouth move.

"That uniform..." Allen waited a beat. "A man in gold, just like you, said someone would come to help us with our problem. You aren't like him, are you?"

"What man?" Allen asked.

"Some womanizer with long, red hair. He promised that someone with the same uniform as him would come and take care of our problem." The boy heard the train moving again. His head whipped around wildly, eyes wide.

"The train-" Allen yelped when he was tackled to the ground. The heavy man's body felt as if it were crushing him alive.

"No! You have to help us!" the man cried. "A vampire has been terrorizing our village!"

The young General ceased his struggle. "A...vampire...?"

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Allen found himself tied to a chair, surrounded by a hundred or so villagers armed with an array of pitchforks and torches. They were all looking at him like he was their savior, or something similar. The boy surprisingly calm about the situation. As soon as he had heard the word 'vampire' he became interested (he blamed Tyki for introducing him to Bram Stoker's writing). He was relieved to have also learned that Cross was also somehow involved with this mystery. That fact would give him a little more leeway whenever Lenalee got hold of him for some more punishment.

The boy squirmed in the ropes a little, adjusting until he was comfortable. "Tell me more about your problem."

"The vampire is the infamous Count Crowley. He lives in a castle at the top of a hill. He never shows himself to anyone, but by the night, you can hear the screams of his victims. No one went up there, so he left us alone. Then, one day, that changed. He took an old woman who had recently been widowed and drank her blood until her body crumbled to dust." Allen felt a shiver of excitement run up his spine. Right next to him, someone else shared the same exact sentiment and popped out of the barrel he had been hiding in, spooking all of the villagers.

"Did he really?" he asked. The villagers took one look at his uniform before they all made a grab at him. The General winced as he saw Lavi pulled in several different directions at one time. About ten minutes later, Lavi was trussed up next to Allen.

"So they decided to send you," the General remarked. "Lenalee would have had an easier time getting here."

"Lenalee is still mad at you," Lavi retorted. His eye gained a mischievous twinkle. "These people, are we going to help them?"

The mayor got down on his knees before Lavi, hands together in a beseeching manner as twin streams poured down the wrinkles of his face.

"You must! The priest before you promised you would!"

Lavi gave Allen a questioning look.

"General Cross was here. He visited the castle of the vampire and stayed for three days." Allen's eyebrows drew together. "What doesn't make any sense is why my master didn't just kill the vampire then. If he had already killed the villagers-"

"There were no casualties until after the priest left," someone put in. That puzzled the two Exorcists even more. Lavi waited expectantly for his superior to tell him what to do.

"For now, we will just visit the castle of Count Crowley," the white haired boy finally concluded. "Once there, we can sort everything out."

"You still look tired from your investigation," Lavi observed. "You can stay here for a few hours. At eleven, you can inform Panda and Lenalee, and then look for us if we haven't come back by eleven."

Allen wanted to protest. Lavi was his partner, and a somewhat antagonistic friend. He didn't want to just abandon him. But then the boy thought back to the Bookman Apprentice's abilities and figured that Lavi would be able to defend himself against a Level Three Akuma. A vampire couldn't be much worse. Right?

"Don't get bitten," Allen replied as his way of agreeing. The ropes around him and he stood up, stretching. The villagers and Apprentice looked at him in astonishment. The young General paused, winking at them.

"I used to be a part of a circus. This was one of the acts I did as a clown," he lied smoothly. It was a trick he had learned young, from being picked on in the circus, to being tortured by the Noah. _Escape_.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Lenalee and Bookman had made it safely to their destination. They seemed relieved that Lavi had made it there alright. Any advice they gave was pretty much what Allen had already been following. After the small chat over the golemns, Allen laid himself down to sleep. His back eased up against the mattress, relaxing one joint at a time. The boy felt bone tired. First, Tyki had decided to visit him on vacation. Then he had a mission that took four days to complete, two of those days were spent on a train, traveling from the Black Order to the destination and vice versa. The other two were spent on sentry duty, waiting for someone to die, and making sure that Kanda didn't get too impatient to end that life. Almost immediately after giving Komui his report, Allen was assigned to another mission. He was sent to accompany Lenalee to a ton in Germany and watch what happened outside the town. Allen camped outside the city in an abandoned wagon for two days straight, with a bad feeling in his gut. That premonition was rewarded by the arrival of Road Camelot. However, that girl had also brought Lero and Allen couldn't act against them while they still had communication with the Earl. He spent another day trying to explain the situation to Komui, warning him that they would need medical assistance soon, and to expect no contact for a temporary amount of time. After four days of the Rewinding Town's mission, Allen thought he would get a break to heal the minor lacerations over his eye. He didn't even get a chance to do that because Bookman arrived with his Apprentice. They watched Allen _constantly_ and Allen felt his instincts threaten to lash out at them. They made him paranoid. To make matters even worse, the two recorders of history were assigned as his guard, to protect him. So he had racked up almost two weeks of almost no sleep and no time to relax.

If Allen was ranting, it was because he could not fall asleep at all. His mind would not stop thinking. Something was bothering him and he could not figure out what it was. It had something to do with his master, Innocence, Akuma, and the vampire. That was as much as he could narrow it down to.

The boy suddenly shot up with a gasp. His hand grabbed at his hair and he gave a half growl and a half life.

"Why didn't I see it?" he wondered breathlessly. "Master shirks his duty, but he never leaves people in danger alone. That Count didn't start killing until _after_ he left. He always leaves Accommodators he has found Innocence for to fend for themselves! Count Crowley must be an Accommodator."

Allen sifted through all the information he had been given as well as his knowledge of his master. The old woman had recently been widowed, making her an excellent victim for the Earl. When Crowley drank all of her blood, there would be nothing left to sustain the form. Akuma usually turned to dust when exorcised, so it would explain why she evaporated.

The boy clambered out of bed, grabbing his coat and throwing it on haphazardly. He ran out of the inn, following the path that the villagers had taken Lavi along.

Allen walked through the open door of the castle, looking for the clear signs that someone had passed through (he was more specifically looking for the destruction created by Lavi). He walked around slowly, looking around. He was sure he was lost, but a clouded mist caught his attention, drawing him towards a new room. Allen's jaw dropped when he caught sight of the flowers there. They were man-eating flowers, the same kind as the one Cross had, Rosanne.

"Was that how the Innocence came to Crowley?" Allen wondered aloud. A pair of clothed hands slipped about his neck loosely. The boy jerked away, activating his Innocence. His eyes widened a fraction when he saw the person who had touched him. "Tyki? What are you doing here?"

The Noah of Pleasure smirked. "Investigating an Akuma of the Earl's. He can no longer see through its eyes. I wanted to know how an Akuma could have possibly become so independent. Why are you here, _General_ Allen Walker?"

"You say General as if you don't believe it," the boy remarked. Tyki nodded. Allen refused to show his annoyance. "I was told about a vampire here. I think this vampire here is an Accommodator of Innocence."

The Portuguese man put a hand to his chin thoughtfully, pondering some question he seemed to be thinking about.

"There certainly is a way for both of us to find the answers to our suspicions." He offered an arm to Allen. "Shall we?"

The General debated whether or not he should take it. On one hand, he really didn't trust the Noah. On the other, Tyki had a better sense of direction than him. So the boy compromised. He walked up to the Noah of Pleasure, taking his hand instead to shake on his agreement. Tyki raised an eyebrow at the action but said nothing. They walked together through the hallways.

"May I know why you aren't trying to kill me yet?" Allen asked after a while. Tyki laughed, a sound that the young General desperately wanted to ignore.

"You know that the Earl loves his show," the man replied. He gave Allen a sadistic grin. "I would say that this scene isn't dramatic enough to satisfy anyone's tastes."

The boy snorted. "What kind of reason is that? Do the Noah see everything as a game?"

Before Tyki found time enough to reply, Allen rushed over to the ledge of a balcony. He cast his gaze over it, frowning. "There aren't any more of the flowers."

The Noah joined him. "Were you expecting any?"

Allen turned to mouth off at his crush. The room erupted into a large cacophony of noises: the crackle of fire, breaking of walls, the tumble of bricks, and a man's cry of pain. The entire building shook, making Allen wobble a little. Tyki, not having the same quality of balance, stumbled against Allen, pinning him to the banister. Both of them stared down at the man who lay in the middle of the floor, seemingly unconscious. A woman rushed in to kneel at the man's side, cradling him in her arms. Tyki pressed closer to Allen.

The boy stiffened. He could feel the man's warmth, the enclosure of strong arms caging him in. He wondered what could possibly be going through the man's mind. Allen couldn't think of a single thing.

"Is that the soul of an Akuma, as you see it?" the Noah of Pleasure asked. Allen blinked, focusing on the woman. Sure enough, she had the tortured soul protruding from her body. He wondered why Tyki could see it.

Lavi entered the scene, smirking at first. The smirk slid right off his face when he caught sight of the soul.

"E-Eliade! What is that thing coming out of your body?" the man cried out. The woman looked around at it. Lavi looked like he was going to be sick.

"It's a lost soul...called back from the underworld to be used as an energy source for the Akuma," Lavi explained. He shivered. "That is what Allen sees...but why can I see it too?"

The young General tried to fling himself over the edge. Tyki held him down.

"Hold on. That is the Akuma that I wanted to investigate. Let me see how this will play out."

Eliade suddenly transformed. Her attack knocked Lavi against a wall, where the flower-room was. Allen activated his Innocence, shooting a strand out to pull out the limp body before letting Lavi fall to the floor. A sharp pain pierced through his ear. He turned his head to look at Tyki incredulously.

"Did you just bite me?" he demanded. The Noah of Pleasure scowled.

"You're lucky the vampire and the Akuma didn't notice your belt," he grumbled. "Don't interfere again."

Eliade struck at Crowley, knocking him against the wall. The man coughed roughly. He looked up at the Akuma, confusion written in his eyes, asking _why_, what was going on.

"I can't let you become an Exorcist! I have to kill you!" she cried in what sounded like frustration to Allen. "All my hard work in trying to train you was useless!"

"I've loved you from the very beginning," Crowley whispered harshly. There were tears running down his face. "And I see now...that I have wanted to kill you for a long time as well."

It was like something from a tragic play. Two impossible loves that could not be. Crowley licked the Akuma blood from his hand, hair standing on end. Innocence could really be cruel. Allen felt as if he were in Crowley's position. He was often controlled by the Innocence, for it moved on its own. It longed to pierce the flesh of the one he loved. Even now, Allen was subconsciously resisting its urge to lash out at the one behind him.

Tears stung Allen's eye as he watched the dehydrated Crowley bite Eliade on the neck, sucking her dry. Her body disappeared. He hoped that his fate would not come to such an extreme.

"The Akuma's plan went awry," Tyki concluded in a bored tone. "She simply was trying to use him."

Allen was surprised that the Noah of Pleasure bought into the lie that Eliade had given.

"No. She _loved_ him. What she said just now was all lies. Eliade wanted Crowley to kill her. As an Akuma, the only person she could never destroy and continue to love, would be someone who would eventually kill her."

Tyki backed away. "I don't understand."

Allen couldn't help a small half smile appear on his face.

"If I were in love with my enemy, I would definitely lie," he said. "Because when they had to kill me, they could do it without doubts, and without hesitation."

Allen looked down at the people below. "I should go down and help them..."

The Noah of Pleasure studied Allen closely. Those words disturbed him. They had sounded as if they were spoken through personal experience. He shook himself. He didn't want to know why Allen seemed so empathetic, saying such things.

"See you soon, Shounen," he whispered in farewell.

::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*:: *

Allen landed lightly on his feet. Lavi caught sight of him and waved tiredly.

"Thought your eye caused us to see that woman's soul," he greeted. Allen shrugged. It had never happened before so he didn't really have any comment. He turned to the count, a broken man who cried. Suddenly cold drops began to rain on them as the bubbles began to pop. Allen and Lavi made their way towards Crowley. The man-eating flowers crept towards the trio, seemingly concerned for their master.

"Count Crowley?" Allen asked. The man sniffled.

"Stupid flowers," the man whispered. "UGLY FLOWERS! GROTESQUE, DIRTY FLOWERS!"

They found themselves inside of one of the buds.

"What are you doing?" Lavi demanded.

"I destroyed Eliade...so I have no more reason to live," the man whispered. Lavi was about to rant on how stupid the man was. Allen grabbed Crowley by the clothes, recognizing the same thoughts he once had.

_I killed the one I love...I want to die...What kind of monster have I become?_

"If it hurts so much, then become an Exorcist," Allen told him in a low voice. He glared into Crowley's face. "If you keep killing Akuma like you did Eliade, then her death won't have been in vain. And you can _save_ a lot of people from the same fate as her. Could that be a reason to live?"

Crowley dipped his head low, letting loose all of his tears.

Allen and Lavi both shuddered after hearing Crowley's story.

"So basically, General Cross returned the baby man-eater he had borrowed from your grandfather. When it bit you, it withered and died. Later, you lost all of your teeth, these new ones grew in, and you became a vampire," Lavi summarized. Allen was suddenly more grateful for his Innocence. IT seemed less painful and inconvenient. "What happened to that man?"

"He said he was heading east," Crowley replied. He looked towards Allen. "You seemed familiar with my story about the plant."

"That man made me care for it," he explained."Let's just say those memories aren't so great..."

Crowley rubbed his head, chuckling. "When I was your age, they still tried to admit, so I can imagine."

Allen suppressed Black Allen. That persona wasn't ready to come out yet. He still had a bit of perfecting to do. "So will you follow us to look for Mas- General Cross?"

Crowley nodded.

"Yes. I think I will."


	4. Chapter 4

**These chapters are so hard to write because they have parallels with the books. Luckily, I feel that the worst is behind, because the next chapter takes place in China. This Chapter is pretty much word for word in the manga, although there is a lot that I added in there, like an entire conversation between Tyki and Allen that happened after the train ride. It isn't too boring. I actually feel better about this chapter than the previous. Geez, these are so long. I even omitted an entire part of the original chapter :0**

**Chapter 4**

**A Fated Meeting**

Allen's coat was rolled up beneath his head, acting as a pillow for the young General. He had fallen asleep against the window as soon as the locomotive began to chug along. Lavi had carefully slid off the boy's jacket to make him more comfortable, then rolled it up and gently placed it underneath Allen's head. If someone were to ask him why he did it, he wouldn't be able to give them a truthful answer. As a Bookman's Apprentice, he was supposed to be without a heart. Yet even the red head had begun to pity Allen. Exorcists could always find the energy to fight, but they needed sleep. Several had averse effects such as paranoia, if they did not get a minimum of one hour to sleep per day. Lavi had noticed that Allen rarely slept. He recognized a troubled mind when he saw it. The boy suffered from insomnia during missions. Bookman observed it, Lavi observed it. But then again, they noticed such things.

Lavi tilted his head to the side as he watched the boy sleep. Usually he would be trying to pull a prank, but when it came to wielders of parasitic Innocence, he found that streak gone. Bookman had remarked on it before: parasitic types had shorter life spans. Their own life force was used to control the Innocence. They often had large appetites and slept frequently after battles. Lavi had seen the boy eat and mentally checked that trait off. However, Allen was abnormal in the way that he probably slept as much as Kanda during time off, and rarely shut his eyes on missions. The General seemed to be constantly on high alert and Lavi was beginning to worry about the person he called his friend. Several weeks had passed without a single break and this was the first time he had seen Allen sleep.

The boy stirred lightly, blinking bleary eyes at Lavi. The Apprentice glanced outside for the time and surmised that Allen had been asleep for almost six hours; the sun said it was four in the afternoon.

"Where is Crowley?" he mumbled sleepily, sitting up to rub the side of his head that had been against the window. Lavi shrugged.

"He went to go look around. I guess he hasn't come back yet." The General stretched, the bones in his body cracking from disuse. The Apprentice frowned at him. "Don't you think you should rest some more? Chances are, he is lost on the train, however unlikely that may be."

The boy smirked. "I don't need much more sleep than that, Lavi. Besides, I've been lost on trains before and know _just_ where to look."

Having said this, Allen casually threw his coat over his shoulder as his partner sputtered in surprise.

"How do you get lost on a train?" Lavi demanded in disbelief. "It only goes in one direction!"

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Allen followed Lavi through the train, not expecting the scene that lay before him. Crowley wept piteously, stripped bare to his boxers so that he was exposed to the cold air. Both of the teenagers immediately understood the situation their friend had gotten into the moment they saw the deck of playing cards. However Allen drew in a sharp breath as he recognized the playing set. He glanced around at the players: one with light hair, one with a hat, and one...with familiar, unruly curls. Despite the filth, the glasses, and the rough clothing, Allen immediately knew that it was Tyki sitting before him, a cigarette with smoke streaming from its tip lay between his lips. A shudder ran through Allen's spine, although he didn't know why.

"What are doing Crowley?" Lavi asked. The count sniffled up at the red head.

"These men invited me to play a game called 'poker,'" he replied tearfully. One of the strangers, without the hat, grinned.

"Hey now, you can't runaway."

"If you're a man, you'll play to the end," Tyki finished. The young General found Tyki's hobby a little amusing. One would never guess that the brother to Portugal's Prime Minister, a gentleman, was also a cheat. Now he knew why the man loved poker so much.

The messy haired man tilted his head up, neck freezing as he caught sight of Allen, who stood partially hidden behind Lavi. He forced a smile onto his face.

"Hey now, this compartment is off limits to children right now," he said. Allen's eyebrow twitched. There was a boy sitting on the bench beside them, obviously a part of their group. The young General tossed his coat onto the crate they were using as a table. He put on his best, fake smile. An innocent smile.

"If I play you, will you let me stay?" he asked. "This coat's accessories are all made out of gold, and can be my wager against all of Crowley's clothes."

The Noah of Pleasure gathered up all of the cards, handing them the friend on his left to deal them. He gave Allen a predatory smile and beckoned for the Exorcist to sit down.

Allen lifted up his cards, already knowing he had been dealt crappy cards. What he didn't expect was the condition of the cards. They were clean, indicating they were well cared for. But the edges had been worn soft, and were a slightly different color from 'new'. He wondered how many times Tyki played with them, if he carried the deck where ever he went.

"Something wrong, lad?" asked the hatted man with a knowing smile. He thought Allen's attention had been because of his cards. Allen lifted his head to meet Tyki's challenging gaze.

"No. There's nothing wrong at all," he answered calmly. He could feel his fingers itching with the eagerness to win. "Let's play."

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Allen held the luggage out of the window to the men that had just disembarked from the train.

"Here. Since I have my friend's stuff, you can take yours back." He smirked darkly. "It must be cold, walking around naked."

Tyki's pride soared momentarily.

"Kid, we haven't sunken low enough to need charity from you," he replied. Despite saying this, all of the men's hands had reached out to their respective luggage. They began to spread out, dressing as quickly in their clothes as possible. The Noah stayed by Allen so that they could converse in private.

"I see your skills are as sharp as ever, Shounen," Tyki said in a low voice as he pulled up his pants. "It's lucky that you gave us our stuff back. We start work in the mines today."

"It wasn't luck; it was kindness," Allen retorted. "And you, the brother to the Prime Minister, work in the mines? Who are you this time?"

Tyki pulled on his boots with a chuckle. "I'm just an orphan vagabond with sticky fingers," he sang. Allen snorted at him and the Noah of Pleasure looked up at him with honesty in his eyes. "You'd be surprised at how much character mining builds."

"That's rich, coming from the man that wants to kill me," Allen replied. He leaned against his hand, hoping that Tyki's attitude had not changed simply because he was in his white form. "Why aren't you trying to kill me right now?"

"I like having these humans as my friends. But just you wait," Tyki promised, the familiar glint of sadism returning to his eye. Allen found himself frozen by that intense gaze. "As soon as I get my list and my orders, I _will hunt you __**down**_."

Allen didn't know what to say, as Tyki finished dressing. Surely he was crazed; Tyki's declaration hadn't scared him in the slightest. In fact it fed the spark in his hard, bringing to life a small flame. There was no hate in Tyki's eyes today. Only a resolution that made Allen's mouth go dry. That determination was something he found he liked to see in the Noah's gaze.

Eeze's approach saved the young General from having to answer. Allen smiled down at the boy as best as he could in light of the dark matter that still held a little bit of sadness over him. The boy held something up in his hand. Questioningly, Allen let it fall into his hand. The boy gave Allen his gratitude. The young General looked at the lump of metal. It was a worn Exorcist's button. He turned it over, breath catching as he saw the name of the General's place he had taken.

Tyki saw it at once and snatched it out of Allen's hand.

"You can't give him that, it's your treasure Eeze," the man exclaimed. He began going through his pockets in search of something else to give to the teenager that had single-handedly bested him and his friends. The train gave a whistle, beginning to chug along. Tyki tossed something to the white haired boy. Allen caught it, looking down to see the deck of cards that he had given to Tyki two years previously.

"Our thanks," Tyki called, waving to Allen. When they were no longer in sight, the young General let his face fall. He sank down to the floor with his back against the wall. He felt numb and horrified at the same time. Certainly conflicted. The boy growled in frustration, running a rough hand through his hair.

"What are you doing, Allen?" he asked himself quietly. "He promises to kill you, and it makes your heart race...Wasn't that button proof enough that you'll be just another victim?"

He stared down at the deck of cards in his hands. Did it not hold any special meaning to Tyki? Had it ever meant anything?

"Hey Tyki!" Road greeted with a subdued grin. There were many books on the table, several in her lap and on the floor as well. Her uncle drank in the sight with unease as he entered, carefully setting his hat on one of the stacks.

"Er...are you doing homework?" he asked incredulously. She never seemed to do it at home.

"It's due tomorrow," she replied sweetly. "Will you help?"

"I've never been to school," he growled, more from uncertainty than from anger. He peered between the Earl and his niece.

"You can write, can't you?" she pointed out, tossing one of the books to him. The Noah of Pleasure sighed, giving in without really wanting to. He settled into a chair, jumping when the Earl began to chuckle for seemingly no reason at all.

"This will certainly be an all nighter," he sang happily. Tyki could not understand what was so fun about doing homework.

An hour passed, perhaps more. The Akuma brought out dishes with food that none of them bothered to touch. They were so focused on finishing the work. The Noh of Pleasure seriously hoped he hadn't been brought to simply do homework, but he resigned himself to the fact that was probably the only reason that he had been called. After a while, the Earl held up a card with his free hand. Tyki saw it, blinking away the words he had just read off the page.

"This is your first task~" the Earl told him. "You're going to be my messenger."

Tyki's face dropped. "That's a long way..."

"Don't be like that," Adam sang, moving his fingers so that Tyki could see the second card. "Because your second task is to delete the people on this list."

The Noah's gaze was interested at first, then his eyes became troubled.

"All of these?" he said softly. He sighed, getting up out of his chair and taking the cards from the Earl. "I understand. Good luck with the homework!"

He scooped up his hat, getting ready to put it back on.

"Tyki!" Road called. The man paused to look at her. "Thanks for the help."

He smiled. "We're family after all."

The Noah of Pleasure walked away, leaving the Earl, Road, and Lero all in the same room.

"Is this hard on Tyki?" the Earl wondered aloud.

"I don't think that's it," Road answered with a pen in her mouth. "I think that he's scared. He has to be careful because if he isn't...he won't be able to go back to those human friends of his. Having two sides is what makes life so much fun. For Tyki."

Lero looked up from the homework.

"It isn't because of Allen Walker?" Lero asked in surprise. There was a pocket of silence.

_It could be that too_, Road admitted to herself. _But if anyone of the Noah clan can decide Allen's fate, it should be Tyki. He blames himself that Walker has taken over Ash._


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you for all your reviews! Can't stay too true to the story. My chapters drag on as I write them, but I **_**really**_** got into the end of this one. Don't worry, even though Tyki is being a complete ass, he will eventually end up with Allen. I promise. Oh, and as soon as I finish my Bleach fic, I will start on another DGM fanfiction. It won't involve pairings, but it has mermaids and Atantis! Doesn't that sound cool? Ironically enough that fiction predates any of my other posts...anyways, please enjoy!**

**Chapter 5**

**A Change of Heart?**

Allen's eye activated. Six Akuma. "Lavi, you need to duck."

"Huh?"dumbly replied the red head in confusion. He bent backwards, yelping as a white tendril shot out from Allen the moment the General had activated his Innocence. It split into several different strands and coiled around the targeted enemy. Allen tugged once and they all exploded at the same time. His eye deactivated and Lavi recovered angrily.

"I'm getting tired of this! You scare me more than the Akuma do!" he shouted. The boy gave his traveling companion a clueless look.

"Why's that?" he wanted to know with genuine curiosity. Bookman merely listened to their conversation as he sipped at his teacup, murmuring something about a tea stalkA cry of wind caught the old man's attention.

"Move!" ordered a high feminine voice. Both boys leapt out of the way as quickly as possible. The dust cleared to reveal Lenalee panting lightly and a cat securely attached to her arm. The girl carefully pulled it off.

"Here. The cat hasn't even swallowed it yet," she told Allen. The young General sighed in relief as he fished the saliva-dampened ribbon from the cat's mouth. It would need to be washed, but he was glad to see it was otherwise in good shape.

"Thank you Lenalee," Allen said sincerely. "You didn't have to go through so much trouble just for me."

"No problem," she replied. Crowley approached them with a depressed aura surrounding him.

"How much longer until we find Cross?" he moaned despairingly. "We've been in China four days now...without any clue as to his whereabouts. For all we know, he is dead!"

Allen's expression became chilled. "It would take a little more than simple death to rid this world of my master," he muttered in a low voice just loud enough for everyone to hear him. Lenalee studied the white haired Exorcist, wondering what his relationship with Cross truly was. At times they interacted as good friends. Other times, as enemies. Perhaps their relationship was even more complicated than that?

The girl's eye caught sight of the black hand trembling. She reached out towards it and brought it closer to her face for inspection.

"What's wrong with your arm?" she asked, pushing the sleeve up. The arm, usually a temperature only a little cooler than the average person's, burned to the touch. The tremors ran from finger to wrist, and Lenalee suspected they ran even to his shoulder. Bookman came over to look over it as well.

"Don't worry," Allen assured them with a tight smile. "It's my Innocence showing that it is physically worn out."

"It's true that the number of Akuma have tripled," Bookman agreed. "I think you should rest that arm of yours and let us do all of the fighting for a while. After all, you are a General."

The white haired boy gave a soft chuckle.

"What I really need is some sleep," he replied. His silver eyes drifted up towards the blue sky. "But we can't sleep yet. I know there I something here, a _clue_ from my Master."

"I am afraid you are too late," Anita told them. "Cross departed several days ago, and his ship was lost to the sea."

The Cross Unit immediately felt their hearts sink. All of the searching they had done, the travels they had taken on: it amounted to nothing. Allen took a step forward. His face remained indifferent.

"What was his destination?" he asked brusquely. His companions looked at him with varying degrees of surprise. Allen was never inconsiderate of people's feelings and he had just poured salt in a gaping wound. Anita tilted her head.

"I do not understand," she began.

"My Master would not have died so easily," he replied. "What was his destination?"

A tear drop ran down the face of the beautiful woman and her lips quirked up sadly.

"You think not?" she asked. A moment later she wiped away the tear. "He went to Edo, a city in Japan."

The group had been ready to set sail when Allen's eye activated again. He gave the call of alarm. True to his word, a horde of Akuma came flying over the ship.

"What the Hell?" Allen whispered in confusion when none of them even stopped to attack the Exorcists aboard the ship.

"What are they doing?" Lavi asked. Allen felt something grab ahold of his ankle, yanking his feet out from under him. The next thing the young General knew, he was being carried through the air. Two more joined that Akuma, bickering over which one would kill him. Allen grimaced, trying to figure how he would get out of this situation without using his Innocence. They were in China on a mission, so it was sufficient to say the direction he was being carried towards was the one of their mission-

Allen yelped as he was released. He saw the Akuma explode, their souls freed. Lenalee flew through the cloud of smoke and sped towards him. A moment later and he was in her arms.

"Are you okay?" Lenalee asked. Allen opened his mouth to reply but his eyes fell on the white monstrosity on the horizon. His eyes narrowed on the white torso that had been flocked by Akuma.

"Take me down," he ordered softly. Lenalee nodded. She brought them safely down on a hill some distance away from the gruesome vision. The girl stared at the scene in horrified fascination.

"They're attacking it?!" Allen's frown deepened. As a General he was knowledgeable about several of the Order's blackest secrets. He knew the story behind the Second Exorcists, Lenalee's past, and he knew what that white torso was before him. A Fallen, a failed Apostle. But how could this be? The tests had been stopped several years ago. The only way that he could see this familiar sight was if an Exorcist had betrayed the Innocence.

"Suman," Lenalee breathed. She gave a blood curdling shriek before collapsing to her knees. Her hands covered her mouth and her eyes were hollow. "He's become a Fallen One!"

Allen knelt down next to her at once, trying to pull her hands into his.

"Lenalee, look at me," he tried to say. The girl turned to him at once.

"We have to same him. There was a boy, I don't know what happened to him, but we can't let it happen to Suman," she rambled. Allen tried his best to soothe her.

"It's too dangerous," he reasoned. The girl looked pointedly at the gold on his uniform.

"You're a _General_." In that moment, Allen wished he wasn't. He didn't want to tell Lenalee that Suman had no future even if they saved him. He didn't want to tell her that his arm had gone numb over the last several hours and it trembled so badly he couldn't even hold anything in it. He didn't want to tell her that even a General had limits.

The young man looked over his shoulder, his mind made up when he saw the tiny girl stuck in the torso. He sighed, reluctantly giving in. "Alright, I'll do my best."

**%%%Ah,Tyki comes in!%%%**

Allen dragged himself out of his daze, found himself on his back. A bout of memories rendered him breathless. He had yanked that girl out, only to be sucked in himself. Lenalee had carried the survivor out as he saw Suman's cursed acts before his eyes. The man had betrayed his comrades, had fled the battlefield. No worst sin could have been committed before the Innocence.

The young General turned his head towards the place where Suman had landed. He first saw his black arm, the sleeve torn off. In it was the Innocence, so sweetly in his palm. Past its deceptive light, he saw what remained of the Exorcist, Suman himself. He forced his battered body up. Another one had Fallen. The body had been saved, but not the soul. Allen chuckled to himself darkly.

"So I have failed." He looked down at the power in his hand, filled with the oddest sensation of wanting to crush it. It had ruined one man's entire life, killed him. How could it be used to fight against 'evil' if it used evil as well?

Allen heard a snap of leaves. He turned towards Suman. Suddenly the body erupted into a swarm of familiar black butterflies. The young man threw his arm up weakly, knowing well the tendency those creatures had to bite. To his surprise they flew close enough to flutter their wings against his clothes, but otherwise did not touch him. When the night fell silent again Allen glared at the man walking from the shadow of the trees. Tyki summoned two large Teases, kissing one and sending it to guard his prey, prevent it from fleeing.

"Was this your doing?" Allen demanded hotly. The Noah of Pleasure touched the tip of his hat to stop it from falling as he crouched down before the young General. He gave him a dashing grin.

"Don't act so surprised, Shounen. We are in a war and it is only natural for me to kill my enemy," he answered calmly. Allen used the last of his strength on impulse, attempting to backhand the man. Almost instantly his left wrist was caught in the hand of the Noah. Tyki glared at him, no more teasing expressions on his face.

"Don't think you can act so righteously. As a General, you yourself are no more pure than a Noah." The young man tried to pull his arm back, a blush of shame in his cheeks. "And let me tell you something else."

The man procured a card from within a pocket in his suit, flipping it around for Allen to see. The General saw numerous names written in the cell, but only one he recognized: _Allen Walker_. He looked back into the gaze of his enemy.

"You're on my list now," the Noah of Pleasure whispered, his face inching closer with every word. "And here I find you again. Unable to resist me as I bleed you of your life."

Allen shuddered. He wondered how Tyki could sound so sweet and alluring. He hated that his anger could so easily be turned into attraction. He hated how everything that Tyki did only made him love the man more. It didn't even make sense. Tyki's words of poetry were promises to kill him. How could they be so entrancing and promising? None of it made any sense.

Tyki roughly grabbed Allen by the throat and drew the boy up until their noses touched, breaths mingled. The Noah's eyes fluttered shut as if he were recalling some painful moment where he had been filled with grief and guilt. Allen's lips parted slightly, his heart hammered in his chest. Finally. His lies were about to pay off. He could die peacefully.

"I hate you so much," Tyki whispered harshly. Allen's lips quirked into a bitter smile that his to-be killer could not see. "Every night I dream that my hands are wrapped around your throat, your neck is so thin and easy to break."

"Then do it," the Young General urged. He had not been able to sleep for weeks, unable to find peace in making the decisions that led up to this. Now all he could feel was serenity. The hand holding his wrist loosened. Fingers yanked one of his buttons from his coat, the flap hanging down sadly. Tyki pocketed it. Slowly that hand snaked up to join the other.

Those twin hands tightened in unison, firm enough to hinder breathing but not obstruct it. Slowly Tyki opened his eyes, staring down into silver pools. What he searched for, neither one knew. Whether he saw what he wanted, neither one knew. Then the Noah's hands loosened their grip, although they remained about Allen's throat. A forehead touched Allen's; the next thing he knew they were both on their knees, more of Tyki hunched over to compensate for Allen's height.

"Allen Walker, I hate you so much," Tyki repeated. His eyes closed once more. The wind blew his hat off. "Every night I dream that my hands are wrapped around your throat like this. Your neck is so thin and easy to break."

"Why aren't you-" Allen stopped talking when he felt warm drops of water fall onto his face, cooling as they rolled down his cheeks. Tears.

"I simply want to cradle this fragile thing," Tyki whispered. His hands slid from Allen's neck to his side where they hung dispassionately. The two only touched with their foreheads and their noses. It was a surprisingly intimate touch. "I could not bring myself to kill you."

Allen understood Tyki's turmoil. Acting on impulse his battle-weary arms pulled Tyki's head down to rest at the junction between his shoulder and neck. The Noah of Pleasure offered no resistance.

"I do not understand...how can hate and love-" The young man hushed him, stroking the top of the Noah's head.

""The heart is a strange thing," he whispered. "It obeys no form of logic, acknowledges no law or moral obligation. We can follow it. Deny it. Or ignore it."

Tyki could smell the faint scent of sweat on Allen, unsurprised. He could feel warmth and relished it. He could hear the sounds of Allen's even breathing. When had a mere boy had the time to become so wise and knowledgeable in the matters of the heart? And when had he come to care so much?

Tyki suspected right then that Allen only ever spoke from personal experience, or lies. If that were the case, he wondered if the boy felt the same way.

"Shounen, if I told you to kill me, would you?"

Allen held Tyki's body tighter, knowing that at last Tyki suspected he had lied about his memories. His answer now would result in either Tyki's death, or the revelation of his lies. "No more than you could kill me."

"Do you love me?" Tyki continued. The young man's heart soared, his stomach clenched. His lies...all for nothing.

"Yes," he whispered reluctantly. The Noah of Pleasure sat up out of Allen's arms. He had seen the color of crimson in the moonlight and had thought Allen was injured. But as he pushed aside the sad flap of the General's coat, he immediately recognized the ribbon tied around Allen's throat. It was faded in color, it had likely been stained numerous times by the young man's own blood. However it had no frays or tears in it. Like Tyki's cards, they showed care and practical use.

The Noah reached out to touch it, his gaze flickering to Allen's. "Why did you lie?"

"Would you be able to kill me knowing that I have Ash's memories?" The General wanted to know. "Could you ever love the person that used to be your nephew?"

"So you are Ash," Tyki began. Silver eyes flashed angrily.

"I fell in love with you the moment I awoke as Allen Walker, those memories haunting me! Ashley Camelot is long dead, like the child that brought his father back from the grave. I am _Allen_."

The Noah shook his head, pulling away. He did not dare look at the General for fear that he would see a wounded expression. "I do not understand what I am feeling right now. I do not know whether I love you as family or as a lover."

Allen refused to let any emotion show. He wished that he could turn back time and redirect this conversation. He had _thought_ Tyki had returned his feelings. The man's actions...they could be so deceptive. He should never had read too much into them, or the meanings of Tyki's words.

"Does this mean I've been rejected?" he asked. The Noah of Pleasure paused.

"I don't know," he replied honestly. He then bent down to retrieve the hat the wind had blown off, brushing it off before placing it on his head. "But I won't kill you."

Using those as words of departure, the man walked into trees once more. Allen trembled. He was angry, hurt, humiliated; he felt rejected all the same. And he felt so stupid for having been carried away in the moment. Now Tyki knew he remembered, and would tell everyone. What would happen then...Allen didn't want to know. He feared it.

Allen waited a good ten minutes after the man left. Then he began to cry. The worst thing about this rejection was he could understand Tyki's reasons. It made everything all the more bitter.

**So what did you think? A little sad, but at least Tyki doesn't hate him anymore (although to be honest their relationship seems to be even more rocky than before right?). Please review and tell me your opinion on how their progression has come.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you for all of the reviews! I must say, it is quite a shock to see over thirty for just five chapters! And that last one had some filler icky-bits (it's okay if you skipped over them, I understand). This chapter is basically Allen's return to the Asia Branch. Someone mentioned they had hoped for some fluff, and I'm sorry that there won't be any for another chapter or two.**

**Second Note: Jazebeth, thank you for saying you were confused. I forgot to put in a small part of the conversation. I did not even notice**

**Chapter 6**

**A Real Vacation**

After hours of searching for their General, Lavi and Lenalee finally found the clearing marked by a large smear of blood on the ground. The girl knelt down next to the smear, touching it. The blood had dried.

"He was here," she said softly, tears threatening to fall. "But he's gone. Where has he gone?"

Lavi had nothing to say. He had a hard time believing that a General could be killed so easily without the help of a Noah. But then again, there was always the possibility that the Noah _had_ come after all.

"You listening Lavi? We need you back at the harbor. An emissary has arrived."

The red head lifted his head slightly. _An emissary?_

%%&&&$$$

A hooded figure turned towards the approach of the last two Exorcists. He pushed the hood back.

"It has been a long time, Lenalee," he greeted, not unkindly. "I am Wong, the Assistant Branch Head at the Asian Branch. I have an urgent message concerning one of your companions:

"We have located Allen Walker. He is in our care now."

Lenalee rushed towards Wong, light returning to her eyes.

"Is Allen alright? Can we see him?"

"Walker was unresponsive when we found him. You will be parting ways here in China." The man placed to hands on her shoulders. "I know it is difficult for you to leave a friend, but each and every one of you still has a mission to complete."

The girl had gone numb with shock. Tears began to leak from her eyes ad run down her face. Even Lavi's face tightened in a grim manner. He had not wanted to hear the dreaded news.

"Our ship was damaged. I don't think we can sail yet-" Anita tried to say. Wong smiled.

"A new Exorcist has arrived from Headquarters," he reassured her. "There she is right there: Miss Miranda Lotto."

On the ramp, the German woman stepped off in her new uniform. She had completely _transformed_. Her Innocence, her inner strength; both had grown exponentially during the short time since she had first been discovered. In no time, they were ready to set sail again.

Lavi looked reluctantly at the ship, a wet woman in his arms. She was apologizing profusely for having foolishly jumped in.

"I do not think that the Destroyer of Time is really dead," Bookman said out loud, understanding his apprentice's expression. He made sure to look over everyone. "I only joined this unit in order to watch him. In these past two years, he has grown to be a powerful component in this war. If he is the one destined to destroy the Millennium Earl, then he is still very much alive."

"Bookman, you never say things that you think," Wong remarked curiously. "Why now?"

"If Allen is truly dead, then he died as the martyr that he is. Don't you think what Panda said is inspiring?" Lavi retorted. Not a moment later, he found himself knocked to the ground by a kick from his master. The humor was off, but the motion was familiar and welcome. Everyone missed their comrade, for he was most certainly dead.

**..**..**..**..**..**..**..**..**..**

Allen dreamt of a lake that had been frozen over. The lake scared him, for he could see a shadow lurking just below the surface. It brought to mind a similar incident several years ago. Only this time, Allen knew that the shadow had far more power of him at the present than it had in the past. The mere idea of such a thing frightened him greatly.

The young General opened his eyes, the lingering emotions from the dreams fading. He immediately recognized the design of the room as belonging to the Asian Branch. A girl was fast asleep at the foot of his bed, so Allen sat up slowly, sliding out from under the covers as carefully as possible. He thought about waking the girl, but decided to let her sleep.

Allen stretched, bones cracked. His feet were simply itching to be used so he walked out of his room to look around a bit. Needless to say, it only took one turn to make him irrevocably lost. He had wandered for what felt like a good hour or so before he finally saw someone.

"Excuse me!" someone called just when Allen had been about to give up his search for the infirmary. Whereas the Headquarters was built up, the Asian Branch was more spread out. It made it so much easier for him to get lost. So he eagerly turned towards the person that had addressed him. "You came from the infirmary, right? Those clothes..."

Allen put on his friendliest, most pathetic smile. Yes, and I am quite lost," he said frankly.

"You must be new," the spiky haired man guessed. He grinned. "I'm Li Kei, and this is Shifu."

"Allen Walker," the boy supplied, holding his hand out automatically. The scientists' mouths dropped.

"What are you doing, walking around?" Shifu demanded

"You should be dead!" Li Kei exclaimed. Allen winced at their loud voices, utterly confused. He was fine. Perhaps a little injured, simple scrapes and bruises. He felt a little tired, and emotionally tried, but nothing too serious.

Someone was running up to the trio, her strides short and quick.

"I am so sorry! I couldn't find my glasse-" the girl froze the moment she saw Allen, instantly smitten. The men saw the blush that immediately burned into her face, and grimaced.

"This is Lou Hwa," Shifu explained. "She's an apprentice here for the science division."

The young General inclined his head towards her, smiling politely. He didn't mind being just a little bit suave towards girls.

"It is a pleasure to meet you."

Before Lou Hwa could faint, their attention was drawn towards the loud clamor echoing through the hallways some distance away. Strangely enough, there was a blonde man just turning the corner. He blinked at Allen in surprise before his expression returned to normal.

"It's been a while," Bak told him calmly. "Last time you were here, you had just come through a great ordeal. And burned a lot of our records."

The white haired boy looked down at his feet in shame, murmuring an apology. His eyes went wide as a hand descended down onto his head in the rendition of a smack. He looked up at Bak incredulously. The Branch Head was scowling.

"Don't apologize; no one blames you for what happened, except for a few Finders," he added teasingly. "No, what you _should_ apologize for is worrying everyone."

"Eh?" the boy asked dumbly.

"Fou found you in the forest. You were injured, of course, but you were also thoroughly exhausted, dehydrated. You've been asleep for a week," Bak explained. "You haven't even been responsive. We all thought you were in a coma."

Allen paled, floundering around for the proper words to say. He was completely horrified to have concerned so many people. And he was shocked to discover how long he had really been asleep. He must have been even more exhausted than Bak let on.

The clamor grew close, the sounds of sobs. Allen lifted his head to see the girl from before leading an old man by the sleeve.

"Look, he's right there," she growled, letting go. She marched towards the group with a murderous intent that even unsettled Allen. She kicked Bak in the head, knocking him to the ground. She shouted at him, several words that he couldn't understand. Wong saw Allen and gave a sigh of relief. The boy's lips quirked in amusement. These were the members of another family of the Black Order. Things somehow seemed light hearted, and Allen felt like he was finally on a real vacation. He couldn't even bring himself to think about Tyki too much beyond name.

Allen met the girl's glare, realizing that he had been spacing out. "I-I'm sorry?"

She crossed her arms with a huff.

"You weren't even paying attention!" she snapped.

"This is Fou. She is the one who found you, Wong explained. "You and I have met before as well, I took you on a small tour here shortly after your promotion to General."

Yes, Allen could remember that.

"Walker, you shouldn't be up," Fou snapped. "Komui specifically told us to give you as much time as you need to completely heal. We hadn't even given you a full check up."

"Sorry," he apologized. The girl scowled, but no longer seemed as angry with him. "I didn't mean to cause so much trouble."

Bak patted Allen on the back. "Just don't do it again. You're a General, one of our valuable people."

Allen didn't want to be a General. He had to fight against his family as an Exorcist. As a General, he would be expected to kill them. And Tyki...he once more found his mind straying towards that man. It brought pain to his heart, like salt in a cut.

"I know I should have been more careful-"

"You are fifteen," interrupted Shifu. "I think you can be expected to be given some slack."

If those words hadn't surprised him, the arms lifting him up did. He blinked, then laughed. "It's not everyday that I'm treated like a child."

"It should be," the assistant replied. "Come on, let's get you back to bed."

Allen's insides warmed from the kindness he was being shown. He rested his head on Wong's shoulder happily. For now, he could forget about all of his problems. Especially the one sitting at the back of his mind.

**::+::+::+::+::+::+::+::+::+::+::+::**

Road watched her uncle. He had not moved in ages, and his fingers were entangled in his curls. The Noah of Dreams was beginning to tire of her uncle's self-torment. Finally she could keep her silence no more.

"Something's bothering you Tyki," she complained loudly. When he didn't reply she rolled her eyes at him. "Don't forget that I am a lot older than you. Maybe it's something that I can help you with."

Tyki lifted his head up slightly. "I...have fallen in love."

"We are Noah; it isn't impossible." Road sensed a greater story and eagerly leaned towards her uncle. "Is it a man or a woman?"

"It is a _fifteen year old boy_," he replied curtly. He also sounded frustrated and more than slightly annoyed. "An Exorcist no less."

It was easy to figure out who Tyki had fallen for. Few Exorcists were as young as that and fewer still were boys. Road knew the name and appearance of every Exorcist and only one fit the bill. She thought it was rather appropriate, considering the rather intimate relationship he had with the Noah.

"Love should not be this complicated," Road informed him drily. "What's stopping you from pursuing him?"

"He was my nephew-"

"Not any more he isn't." The girl forced Tyki's head up by the chin. "Ash is dead. We've all accepted that fact. So should you."

"He remembers everything!" Tyki growled. Road's expression did not change.

"That doesn't mean he is Ash. Did he tell you that it was Allen Walker that loved you?" The Noah of Pleasure looked ashamed as he slowly nodded. "You knew you loved him before knowing he still remembered right? You should mourn Ash. And then, you should go after Allen. And kiss him."

"Why kiss him?" Tyki wanted to know. That part didn't really make sense to him.

"Because after you simply rejected him, he will need proof of your love."

The Noah of Pleasure's eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms. "I didn't reject him. And what makes you so sure he returns my feelings?"

The girl stiffened a little, forcing an innocent smile. "A good guess?"

Tyki groaned, burying his face in embarrassment. Road must have been watching them in the forest. She probably saw it all.

"That was a very private moment," he grumbled.

"I think you should have kissed him them. Now you will have to wait until he reaches Edo." The girl cackled at his forlorn expression. "After all, there are still many people you have to visit."

Tyki really hated his job right now. He hated the girl even more for making him such a fool. He really had been over reacting towards everything. He would have to apologize to Allen when they met once more.

**Yeah, it's a little cheesy at the end, but that's okay. Tyki is done being a moron now. Please review and tell me if this was kind of choppy (it felt that way).**


	7. Chapter 7

**I apologize. I had to work on my Bleach fic. I had the worst case of writer's block, no joke. I have written the next four chapters or so, they simply need to be typed up. Anyways, thank you all for following this story. I can't wait to end my Bleach fic. As much as I love it, I find it easier to write DGM stuff than Bleach. Maybe because I personally like DGM better? I have no idea. Pleas, enjoy!**

**Chapter 7**

**Tyki's Answer**

Allen groaned. He had only been awake for about two days and he was ready to go back to duty. These people were so cruel: they were forcing him to eat. Usually he would love to eat everything in sight. But Bak, Wong, and Fou all made sure that he stayed in his room and did nothing to extraneous. He hadn't activated his Innocence in approximately a week now. The amount of food that they were forcing him to eat was the same amount he had eaten before going to China. It was Bak's idea to get him to gain the weight he had lost while being overworked: force feed him until he was about to burst.

"I feel sick," the General groaned. He waited for the nausea to pass before making his way to his bed ever so slowly. He gingerly lay down on his back, mind wandering as it always did. "I wonder how everyone is doing...Wong said he hadn't been too sure I would live when he told them bout my condition. They may think I'm dead."

"They are all alive," said a familiar voice. Allen shot up in his bed with a gasp. He looked towards the window of his room. Sure enough, Tyki stood there, dressed impeccably as ever. Only this time he skin had a dark hue of a more natural skin tone, and there was no sign of the stigmata. The Noah set his hat down on the end table by the window. He slowly walked towards Allen's bed and sat down at the edge.

"No 'hello'?" he teased lightly. Allen glared at the man.

"You aren't supposed to be here," he hissed. "There are guards right outside my door!"

Tyki glanced over at the door. He turned back to Allen with a determined look in his eye.

"I couldn't wait any longer; we needed to walk."

Allen sensed that he could not force the man to leave without causing a commotion. So he drew in a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm. Or at least act like he was.

"You said my friends are alive," the General prompted. Tyki reluctantly nodded; he had hoped that he would have been able to talk about something else. About the choice he had made. Nevertheless he knew Allen wanted to her about his friends first.

"The Exorcist Miranda Lotto joined their ranks. With her help they were able to repair the ship and leave China at once. The Earl sent an attack on them shortly after you awoke," he explained. "As far as we know, they suffered no casualties, although one of the Exorcists was seen encased by her Innocence in the form of a crystal. It gave off a strange song that harmed anyone who was not an Exorcist."

"Is that Exorcist okay? Who was it?"

"Lenalee Lee is unharmed, although it seemed she cannot use her Innocence at the moment." Tyki watched Allen carefully. "The Earl is very interested in her. There have only been two cases in which the Innocence ever protected its wielder."

"So you think she is the Heart?" Allen asked bitterly. Such a suspicion meant almost certain death. The Noah's lips thinned.

"I _pray_ for it to be her," he said softly. "I pray that it's her, and not you."

The young man felt a delicious shiver run up his spine from the tone of Tyki's voice. The shiver felt like the skitter of fingertips along his spine. He shuddered, then let out a harsh chuckle.

"Why is it that whenever we are together we talk about such serious things?" he asked. To him the answer was obvious. "Tyki, you need to leave; you are my enemy."

"Don't you want to know my answer?" the man whispered as he leaned closer to Allen. His gaze was honest, observant. Allen stayed his ground.

"You gave me your answer by walking away," he growled. "Now go!"

"I was confused-" Tyki began.

"Leave or I will call the guards," Allen threatened. When the Noah didn't comply he opened his mouth to summon the men. A hand quickly covered it. Tyki surged forward, pushing Allen firmly down onto the bed. He gazed down at the young man with molten gold eyes, an emotion there that Allen couldn't bring himself to identify. He was too aware of the thrumming of his heart, and the warmth of the hand against his mouth.

"II was confused," Tyki repeated in a low voice. He made sure that he had Allen's full attention, that the General's gaze did not stray from his. "I felt lost and so confused. Road set me straight and made me realize the truth."

_What truth?_ Allen wondered. _I feel like he is going to say it, but that can't-_

Tyki slowly moved his hand away. They were close enough to feel each other's breaths.

"What truth?" Allen needed to hear it. He had to know the answer without a doubt.

Tyki rested his forehead against Allen's. Their noses became aligned. Their breath intoxicated the other. Gentle fingers moved to caress the marred cheek.

"Allen Walker. I love you."

The young man's eyes fluttered close. He had waited so long to hear those words. He had thought that he would never hear them. He smiled, reaching towards Tyki's head. He brought the Noah's head down the rest of the way so that they could kiss at last.

There was a strange mutual agreement between the two, as though they spoke through each other's bodies. When Allen's lips parted, Tyki merely nipped at them and moved his mouth against Allen's. Neither of them wanted to use tongue; it made the kiss all the sweeter, a little messier. Allen could just barely taste Tyki and it was enough to tease him in a way that he loved.

Finally they parted. Allen stared straight into Tyki's eyes, neither one looked away. Their hearts finally felt as if the turmoil had finally left and settled peacefully, contentedly. Tyki smiled gently as he brushed away some of Allen's white hair. He had feared he would be overcome by lust, that the kiss would drive him to begin groping the young man. But his fears had not come true.

"May I stay with you?" Tyki asked. Allen nodded slowly.

"For a while. You're going to have to get off of me though, because you're heavy." The Noah shifted so that he was laying next to the young General. Tyki pulled Allen's head to rest against his heart, his free hand entwining with Allen's.

"What are you thinking about?" he wanted to know. The young man made a frustrated noise.

"How screwed I am," Allen replied bluntly. "Now I _definitely_ can't fight you."

Tyki laughed. "Just think about it as the rough housing. I told Road that you remembered them."

"Well, she'll tell the Earl, who will tell everyone," he said bleakly. "At least I don't have to worry about them trying to kill me right?"

"Well, I could give you a mark that will tell everyone that you aren't to be killed," Tyki mused. When Allen looked at him curiously he grinned, gloved hands moving to hold Allen's face as if it were breakable. He gently gave Allen a kiss, drawing himself over the young General. His lips moved across Allen's cheeks, then jaw. Silver eyes widened in understanding,

"That isn't what I meant-" A cursed gloved hand covered his mouth once more, something that was quickly becoming a habit. Tyki paused in his actions.

"You need to be quiet," he whispered. "Wouldn't want to alert the guards."

The Noah returned to kissing and sucking on the pale neck. He made sure that it would leave a nice mark.

**::+::+::+::+::+::+::+::+::+::+::**

Allen woke up the next morning when a gentle breeze wafted into his room. He blinked, surmised to find his mind and body thoroughly rested. The side of the bed where Tyki had lain felt cool to the touch, although a small item had been left in the Noah's place. Allen picked it up, immediately recognizing it as the missing button from his uniform. Somehow, it didn't seem right that it had been returned to him. After all, it was almost like a token, much like Tyki's cards had been a gift from him. Now he had the deck of cards, and the stolen button.

Someone knocked on the door. The young General hastily stashed the chunk of metal beneath his pillow.

"You can come in, I'm awake."

Wong entered the room, carrying a tray filled with fresh bandages for Allen's injuries.

"How are you feeling today?" he asked pleasantly.

"A lot better." Allen removed the shirt, allowing the man better access to his torso, where most of his injuries were. Wong carefully unwrapped them, His eyebrows drew together in confusion and the man began to prod at the pale skin of Allen's lower back.

"What is it?" the young man asked, trying to see.

"Your wounds have all healed. There isn't even a scar," Wong said in disbelief. Allen ran a hand over his stomach, his back, his sides. While he was no slow healer, usually injuries stayed another day or two. And they most certainly scarred. This new...ability was on par with Kanda's. And Kanda's was a curse, not anything natural.

"Well, this means you will be able to go back on duty quicker."

Allen tried to smiled. "They are probably already in Japan, fighting."

The assistant put his hands on both of Allen's shoulders.

"It will work out; you'll see." His gaze moved along to the side of Allen's neck. He brushed a hand against a random patch of skin. "I didn't know you had a lover here."

Allen blushed a bright red. He had completely forgotten what Tyki had done last night. He quickly covered the mark with one hand and forced himself to meet Wong's gaze.

"It's a recent thing," he replied with embarrassment. "I would prefer to keep the person's identity a secret."

Wong nodded. "I understand. Your secret is safe with me."

He left Allen once more, promising to bring back the uniform that they made for him. They need him to try it on since they had only gotten his size while he was sleeping. Allen was excited because this new uniform did not consist of a simple coat, and because it looked like every other Exorcist uniform. It possessed no gold them on it, though Wong said they would fix his General's coat to wear over it once he returned to normal missions again.

Allen took the time he had alone to himself to contemplate. He withdrew the button from under the pillow once more. He pressed it against his lips in the form of a silent wish. It wasn't entirely naïve or selfish. He didn't wish for the war to end or for all of his friends to survive it. He simply whispered,_ for everything to work out_.

Allen knew people would die; he expected it. He knew he would likely lose several family members as well. The only prayer he could bring himself to ask was one for closure.

**And that is a wrap. So Allen and Tyki get kissy kissy! Hope you guys like it (and in case you're wondering, Tyki only gave him a hickey, that's all). I think it was sweet, what about you?**


	8. Chapter 8

**So this a double update since it is almost the weekend anyways. I can't believe I received so many reviews last night! Thank you all so much!**

**I only want to say that the twins Devit and Jasdero will be under the names David and Jasper. Oh, and Tiedoll will be Theodore. That is all!**

**Chapter 8**

**Away to Edo**

Tyki was sitting in front of the koi pond. As predicted, Road had told the Earl about his feelings for Allen and the fact that Allen possessed Ash's memories. The only thing that neither of them knew was that he now officially had a romantic relationship with the white haired General. Hence the reason he was waiting for the First Apostle and the Ninth. It didn't take long before one of Road's doors opened and the two Noahs walked towards him, plopping down beside Tyki; the Earl on the left, Road on the right.

"So, Allen Walker," the Earl began slowly. "He remains as a complicated factor of this war."

Tyki nodded. That was certainly one way to put it. "I told him that should we encounter him, we will fight as if it were simply rough housing."

"I take it you two had a little chat," Road said slyly. Tyki glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She always seemed to know what happened.

"We did," he confirmed. "Allen and I are now together. In a romantic relationship."

The Earl made a thoughtful noise. Though he always smiled, his eyes could never lie. And in this case, he was not too happy.

"How do you know that he is not lying, Tyki? The Exorcists are a tricky lot, after all~" Tyki hesitantly explained the night when he had been about to kill the young General. He had offered to let Allen kill him, had been refused. And he told the Earl about the scarlet ribbon. At the end of his explanation, and a long tirade about how he truly loved Walker, the Earl chuckled.

"You have my permission, Tyki-pon," the bulbous Noah told him warmly. He looked just the tiniest bit sad. "Unfortunately, a relationship between a Noah and an Exorcist is cursed from the beginning. None of us will try to separate you two, but the same cannot be said for the Black Order."

Road chewed on her lip in thought. "I think we should kidnap him."

"Road!" Tyki exclaimed, cringing at the idea. Allen would be mad at them.

"That isn't a bad idea," The Earl agreed. "He could join us for dinner and we could talk about old memories and tease you two~"

Tyki pinched the bridge of his nose. "He wants to fight, Earl. Allen would not take kindly to being pulled away from this war." He lifted his gaze up to meet the Earl's. "I understand that you want to make certain he has Ash's memories and emotions, and I understand that you want to lock him up to keep him safe-"

"I never said any of that~"

Road smirked. "We knew that is why you liked the idea of kidnapping him. But my uncle is right. We can't completely remove him from this war. We _can_ still talk with him, though, as a family."

She told them of her plan. Road explained what she wanted to do, who she needed in order for it to work. Tyki was reluctant to agree that it was satisfactory in appeasing Allen as well as hiding their true intentions from the rest of the Exorcists.

"I suppose I can agree to that," the Earl mused. "After all, that boy has always had the hand of protection over him~"

"What do you mean?" Road asked. "This is the first time you have ever mentioned something like that."

The Earl pulled Lero out from what seemed to be thin air and used the tip of the umbrella to create ripples in the water.

"The night when Allen and I first met was the same night he became cursed and when he first activated his Innocence. I should have killed him that night," the Earl explained. The confession made the other Noahs shiver. "To this day, I do not know why I didn't. Still, it has worked out well for us~"

Suddenly the trio heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

"I would have thought such a smartly dressed gentleman would be stealing fish from that pond," sneered a strangely dressed with black hair and odd makeup. Beside him was his twin, who possessed blonde hair. Tyki sighed in annoyance when he saw them.

"If it isn't the twins," he muttered. He raised his forearm at once to block the foot the black haired Noah had been trying to deliver.

"The name is David!" he said through gritted teeth.

"And I'm Jasper!"

Both of the twins turned away from Tyki and moved to glomp the Earl. They began complaining.

"Why did you give our target to Tyki? He hasn't even finished killing all of his!" David pointed out with a disgruntled expression. The First Apostle chuckled at them and patted each of their heads as if they were children.

"Didn't you get my message? Tyki's target is not to be killed or severely harmed now," The Earl explained patiently. "If you promise not to harm Allen Walker, then I can arrange for Cross Marian to be given back to you."

The Noah of Pleasure grimaced. He had heard about that womanizer. "Please, take him. I don't want to be the one that has to go after that bastard."

Tyki glanced at the pond, attention by the reflection of the moon in the water. It reminded him of Allen.

**::+::+::+::+::+::+::+::+::+::+::**

"Congratulations, Allen! You've gained six pounds in three days!" Bak announced brightly. Allen was pretty sure that wasn't a healthy amount to gain in such a short time, but he refused to comment on the matter. Not only did he still hold a grudge towards the man for forcing him to eat so much, but he was sitting on his bed without a shirt on. He hated showing his body to anyone. The General had always been too afraid to show anyone how skinny he was. They always pestered him to gain weight.

"May I put my shirt back on?" Allen asked quietly. Bak agreed, continuing to list his observations.

"You seem to be in almost full health. With the exception of that love mark, you have no visible signs of bruising, cuts, or even scars. We even managed to get a little bit of extra fat on you as well." The blonde turned a page on his clip board, his eyes narrowing in concern. "However, you heart still has the hole in it. I know Komui mentioned it-"

"It doesn't affect my performance," Allen cut in. He began buttoning up his shirt. "As long as my Innocence is not destroyed again, then there is no problem."

Despite feeling well rested, the young man noticed that his left arm still felt a little stiff. Poker would be difficult to play for a while (at least while cheating).

"Just be extremely careful," Bak warned him, more serious than usual. "If a Noah has the chance-"

Allen smiled at him.

It wasn't as if Allen wasn't already aware of the dangers. He had long ago accepted that his fate was tied to his Innocence; it was a piece of his body, his left arm. The fact that it was also a part of his heart did not matter.

"I understand," Allen replied. He picked up the new uniform that they had put out for him. He greatly appreciated the lighter material and shorter length. "Have you received any word from the Cross Unit yet?"

"Not since they left. The closest unit was Theodore's and he is already in Japan."

_At this point, I will arrive too late to help anyone,_ Allen thought grimly. He slid the uniform on, fastening it.

"Alright. I'm going to talk to Fou, see if there is any time I can leave earlier than tomorrow morning," he said as calmly as he could. Bak nodded his understanding, watching as the young man left.

**::+::+::+::+::+::+::+::+::+::**

Allen slumped against the column, thoroughly sick of being stuck under observation. They had said he was fit enough to go, although the amount he had healed over night worried them. The young man couldn't help but wonder if Tyki had done something to quicken the process.

"I know about your visitor last night," a feminine voice accused. Allen didn't bother to look over to her.

"If you hadn't known, then I fear this Branch would have been destroyed long ago," replied the General. Although Tyki had also come to it once before, to erase his memories and turn him into a puppet. That seemed so long ago. "I'm curious. Why didn't you tell anyone or raise the alarm?"

The guardian steeped out from the shadows. She crossed her arms. While she seemed angry, Allen could tell that she was actually very concerned for him. He gestured for her to take a seat next to him, and she did. Fou looked at the ground before her.

"You walk in your sleep. When we found you in that forest, I was put in charge of watching you. I heard you speaking about him then." Fou shrugged, a little uncertain. "I took a gamble and guessed that he didn't come here to cause trouble."

Allen turned to her, gratitude written on his face.

"_Thank you_," he whispered. Fou scowled, a little bit of pink in her cheeks.

"You better be grateful," she growled, trying to hide her embarrassment. "I let a Noah in this Branch, after all."

Allen chuckled, remembering the kiss he had shared with the Noah of Pleasure. He was not so innocent as to become completely drunk off of the memory. But he was grateful to know that there had been nothing sexual or lustful in that kiss, like the others had been. He had truly felt the love there.

"I guess I owe you one," he agreed. The two friends sat in companionable silence. This secret they shared strengthened their bond and made them feel a little bit like a pair of conspirators.

"I can't help but notice how amazing you are," Fou said suddenly, as if the thought had just occurred to her.

"Hmm? What makes you think I'm amazing?"

Allen didn't really think there was anything particularly amazing about himself. People often remarked how young he was to be a General, how impressive it was for him to be so dedicated to this life of an Exorcist. Allen had never known what it was like to live normally. He lived his life in misery, named by the people who saw him as a demon. He had a few bright spots in his life. Mana, his blessed time with the Noah, his kiss with Tyki. None of it was amazing at all. He simply accepted what he was given and carried on, survived. That was what Mana had instilled in him after all.

"I may not know your whole history Allen, but you've lived a hard life," Fou told him with a tenderness he had never seen before. "Despite all of that, you remain kind, soulful, bright."

"You're wrong." Allen began to shake his head. "I cursed God long ago. I do not save people when I know that they cannot be saved. I have seen the horrors of the Black Order and find myself which side is truly the evil side. I am not someone that should be idolized, Fou."

The girl took his hand in hers, a friendly gesture.

"I look up to you Allen because you are able to make those hard decisions and you are able to think that way about the Black Order. You're so..._free_ and independent," she explained. Her eyes were excited. "Every time I see a new clip or picture of you, I wonder to myself,

_What does he fight for? It must be something very dear to him._"

Allen saw that the guardian was being completely honest with him and he felt overwhelmed.

Fou's hand tightened around his and he saw her face change into one filled with pain. The guardian stumbled up from the ground, trying to get away from her friend.

"Hide Allen!" she screamed. The ground below her feet began to ripple, a portal formed in her chest cavity. She cried out in pain. Allen watched as a gateway he had not seen in years formed. Finally a figure walked out, an Akuma. The general was about to activate his Innocence. Then he saw the butterfly following the Akuma.

"One of Tyki's...?" he asked in confusion. The Level Three approached him calmly.

"The Earl sent me here to collect you, Allen Walker. I will be your escort to Edo," it informed him. The young General blinked at him once, then twice.

"The Earl wants me to go to Edo?" he repeated. He glanced at Tyki's Tease. They had talked about Road telling the Earl. Still, what was Adam planning?

"Don't listen to him, Allen!" Fou begged. The Akuma ignored her. Instead it held an arm out for the Tease to land on.

"One of the Noahs told me to bring this so that you would know that you will not be harmed."

Allen met Fou's eyes, conveying his intentions to her. She closed her eyes, giving in. But not before she held something out to him.

"Wear this." The young man took the small object from her, seeing that it was an earring. He gave her a questioning look. "As soon as you leave I will put you into contact with Komui."

Allen nodded.

"Come aboard the ship, Master Allen," boomed the Akuma's voice. Alarms had begun to go off and Allen could hear shouting. He reluctantly stepped up, glancing back to Fou. He gave her a small smile.

"I'll be going then."

He closed his eyes and walked through.

**::+::+::+::+:+::+::+::+::+::+::**

At first everything was black. Then he saw a pinprick of light. It grew larger and larger until Allen finally blinked his eyes open. The Ark looked nicer than he remembered it.

"How do you like the Ark?" asked the Akuma, materializing right beside him.

"This isn't as bad as the parts I've seen before."

The Akuma laughed. "The edge of the Ark is the only place where the buildings are crumbling."

Allen gestured for the machine to lead the way. He was unsurprised to see the Tease flutter down and land on his shoulder.

"Can you hear me Allen?"

"Komui?!" the General exclaimed. The Akuma heard, but merely pulled him along by the wrist. "Wow, Fou really got through to you fast!"

"What were you thinking? Are you okay?"

Allen laughed at his concern. "I'm fine. The Akuma is taking me to Edo just as promised. Did you hear from the others? They should have landed by now!"

"...No."

Allen stopped laughing.

"There are five Noah present, and the Earl is in Edo as well," the Akuma informed him. "How do you think they are doing?"

"Ignore it, Allen," ordered Komui.

"You heard that?" Allen asked.

"Yes, and I'm sure everyone is just fine."

"Be realistic Komui," Allen whispered. For a moment, there was no reply.

"Just think happy thoughts, the man suggested. "Like when everyone comes home:

"I'll give everyone a pat on the back and welcome them. Then I'll give Lenalee a great _big_ hug! And don't worry, Allen; I'll make sure you get plenty to eat."

The young man chuckled light at the image he received. Komui's voice was reassuring him little by little.

"Lavi will probably fall asleep right on the spot, so we'll have to throw a rug over him. The adults will drink some wine, and everyone will have a great celebration. Then we'll all fall into a delicious sleep."

Komui laughed to himself. "Then, of course, Kanda will show up. Looking cross just as he always does."

**And here is the second chapter. I didn't feel like typing out a piece of this because it was a bit longer near the end, but I feel that this isn't so bad either. If you are disappointed about no Allen/Tyki interaction, don't feel bad. I kind of missed it too!**


	9. Chapter 9

**So this is going along pretty well, right? Thank you all for giving so many reviews! I think another chapter or two and I will have more views from this fic than any other I have done so far. Then again I haven't written very many. Pleas enjoy my semi-filler chapter. It is a little blegh because it follows the story line a little more accurately. Oh and if any of you think I'm being a little harsh on Lenalee, I apologize. I don't really like her too much. But don't worry, I'm not going to kill her off. **

**Chapter 9**

**Reunion**

"The Akuma are coalescing into an even bigger one," Crowley growled. Bookman gave it a single glance over before returning his attention to his Apprentice's fight with the curly haired Noah. Suddenly the Akuma grabbed Lavi, throwing him at the group of Exorcists with enough force to break through the roof that they stood on.

Everyone was dazed after the rough landing, Lavi himself sported a serious concussion that nearly rendered him unconscious. Crowley was the first one to rise on his hands and knees, then Bookman.

"Lavi what are you doing? Pull yourself together!" The red head winced upon hearing his master's voice. He reluctantly rolled onto his stomach and sat up slowly before cradling his head in his hands. His entire body hurt everywhere.

Suddenly they heard a scream coming from the top of the roof. They were all on their feet at once and began to make their way to the where the scream had come from. The trio found Lenalee standing there, facing the Noah of Pleasure with hatred in her gaze. Her entire body trembled with rage.

"What did you do?" Lavi demanded. The Noah smiled.

"Relax. I only told her the truth," he replied. "I was there with your friend, the white haired General, in the forest in China. I am the one who killed Suman-"

He broke off, suddenly leaping away. A blade slipped through the tiles of the roof. Everything exploded violently and a dark figure appeared from the midst of the dust. Tyki's smile became uneasy as he realized that another Exorcist had appeared.

"So many new faces," he complained weakly. His eyes widened as Kanda rushed forward to attack him. Tyki had not expected that speed. "You are certainly a lot faster than your fellow Exorcists..."

"Shut up," he growled. "There's an Exorcist missing from this group, a white haired short one."

Tyki was more than a little surprised by the question and he was glad he was saved from having to answer. He had a nagging sensation at the back of his mind, something he was beginning to suspect was a form of jealousy. While he understood that Allen possessed many friends and remained an important figure the Noah did not like thinking that there were others who shared an interest towards the one he was hoping to call his lover.

"He died in China," Lenalee told him. Her voice had been shaky from the initial shock, but now it was as hard and as resilient as a diamond. This Noah killed him."

Tyki turned his attention back to the long haired Exorcist to study his reaction. While he did see the man express some emotion, he was relieved to find that it was simply anger. No grief or sorrow; simply anger. Out of the corner of his eye Tyki saw that the colossal Akuma was tethered down by several thin strings like piano wire.

"Kanda, ignore that Noah and get to work!" Marie shouted. "You can deal with him later."

The Exorcist looked tempted to gut Tyki at that moment but he growled and spun himself around. He took a single leap into the air, raising Mugen above his head. He brought it down with a single strike. Tyki watched as the hit obliterated the Akuma. A drop of sweat ran down his back; this Exorcist was powerful enough to be of a General class. The Earl had made no mention of Kanda's strength and skill. To be this close, Tyki could already tell he would have a hard time fighting just that young man. As the others slowly surrounded him he became all too aware that he was pretty much screwed. Bookman, Lenalee carried by Lavi, Crowley, Marie, the General Theodore, and finally Kanda all made a circle around him. He could feel their killing intent. While it excited him, Tyki really didn't want to have to tell Allen that he had killed one of his friends so early in their relationship.

"So you are the one that killed young Allen Walker?" General Theodore asked calmly. Tyki cast a wary look around them as they all advanced. He threw his hands up defensively.

"Hey, wait a moment!" he exclaimed, quickly trying to undo the mistake he had made. "Let me explain.

"What is there to explain?"Even Marie sounded frightening and the Noah of Pleasure began to wonder why he had ever implied that he had killed Allen. Just the thought made him sick to the stomach. Had it been a slip of his Dark side?

"I didn't kill Allen Walker," he said quickly. When he saw that all doubted his words he quickly held up the card he had been given and tossed it to Bookman. "Look; Bookman, I know you have knowledge of how this list works. Do you see the name that is still there?"

The old man peered into the Cell and squinted at the name. Sure enough, Allen's was still there, no matter how many times the prisoner tried to clean it away. He nodded to his companions.

"The Noah tells the truth. General Walker remains in this world." Everyone sighed in relief (except for Kanda, he merely lost some of his anger).

"What did you do to him?" Lenalee wanted to know. She still didn't trust the Noah, but she had hope that he would tell her about her friend.

Tyki pondered the question. He would obviously have to lie about it. And he couldn't tell them anything about the visit he took to China.

"I had a chat with him in the forest," he said with a wide grin, hoping to play this part off well. "He was so very tired, and his Innocence had been pushed to its limits. He couldn't even fight me off."

Lavi ground his teeth together and Lenalee flinched. Marie's face grew grim, his General's expression did not change.

"We had a _lovely_ chat-" Kanda suddenly punched Tyki, his fist phasing through the Noah. The Exorcist wasn't surprised as he drew back his fist. They glared at one another, trying read the other person. Reluctantly Tyki tore his gaze away.

"I didn't want to fight someone in such a weak condition," he continued in a more serious tone. "I let the Asian Branch take him in so that one of the Akuma could pick him up on this night. He should rejoin us at any time within the hour."

Eerie laughter began to echo across Edo. Tyki recognized it in an instant and used it as a distraction to get away from the group of Exorcists that had surrounded him. He settled safely above them ad followed the direction in which their attention had been given.

The Earl was floating down using Lero, a ball of Dark Matter forming.

"Insolent fools~" the First Apostle sang, his voice dripping with derision. Then the orb expanded, flattening Edo.

****::**::**::**::**::**::**::**::**::**

Kanda forced himself up despite the pain his movements caused. He could here others stirring not far off. One in particular he recognized as Marie.

"Cross's people all have very weak heartbeats; they're barely alive!" the blind said with genuine concern. He tried to move a little quicker in order to help his comrades. Kanda glanced over his shoulder to where Marie was. Just past him he could see what remained of the Cross Unit. Bookman and Crowley were laying side by side, both of them unconscious. So were the non-combatants and Miranda. Lavi was forcing himself back up. It was then Kanda saw the strangest sight: a crystal that appeared to glow from within. It was singing, a beautiful and painfully sad song that all of the conscious Exorcists found to be too ethereal for mortal ears, especially Marie.

Suddenly they saw the shadow of a hand tough the crystal, then that hand became a fist, banging on its surface.

_Someone...help me! Help me, I'm in here! Lavi? Kanda? Is anyone there?!_

The two Exorcists stared at the crystal in shock and in awe, both whispering the captive's name. "Lenalee?"

Kanda felt himself whirling around on instinct, bringing his sword up once more. He found himself face to face once more with Tyki. The Noah was grinning happily, a new fire of excitement lit in his eyes.

"If I were you, I would just hand over the girl," Tyki suggested. While he was smiling, there was a strange seriousness in his eyes that Kanda couldn't quite understand.

At the same moment, Lavi found himself roughly grabbed by a huge man and tossed on the ground like a rag doll. He cried out in pain as he felt the hard ground slam against his bones and skin. The red head reached for his hammer, which had landed by his side. A foot stomped down on his arm, and he yelled out as he felt the definite breakage in his bone. He opened his eyes in order to get a better grasp of who he was fighting, and what he could possibly do to get out of this situation. Instead of seeing his opponent, Lavi saw that strange crystal standing alone. His eyes widened as he caught sight of the familiar figure rushing at it with a deadly black orb in hand.

"Lenalee!" he shouted in panic, trying to warn her, warn anyone that could help her that the Earl was about to kill her. The black orbs were just about to touch her crystal when suddenly the sky split open, illuminating the night with white light. Everyone froze, Exorcists and Noahs alike, to watch the peculiar and new spectacle. The light slowly dimmed, a gateway crumbling into nothing. There everyone recognized the familiar white cloak that stood between the Earl and Lenalee's crystal. There was no mistaking that jester's mask as it rushed to be face to face with the Earl. Even more shocking was that the figure had only used one hand to halt the Earl's attack.

"It's been a while, _Allen Walker_~" the Earl purred. While the Exorcists knew nothing of the Earl, the family of Noah did. And they couldn't tell if the First Apostle was happy to see the General or if he wanted to kill the fifteen year old at that moment. Tyki found his own heart going out to Allen, for he could see the confliction within his lover.

Allen, for his part, kept his emotions in check. In a voice low enough for only the Earl to hear,

"I don't want to fight you, Adam," he said carefully, softly. "Please let her go."

The Earl jerked his hand away, summoning Lero from what appeared to be thin air. Allen's eyes widened as he saw the transformation from umbrella to sword. He had never seen this weapon before, and he could not believe the striking similarities he noticed. The young General quickly raised his arm up when that large sword was swung at him. He winced as it jarred against his left arm, the one made out of Innocence. He could feel the powers colliding between the two and it made his teeth pulse as well.

The Earl leaned in closer to Allen, smiling wider than usual. "Thank you for becoming a part of my play~"

Allen's eyebrows furrowed. He briefly wondered what the Earl was plotting and did not get the chance to question the First Apostle before he was violently shoved away by the broad sword. Allen did not expect the amount of force behind it and found himself flying into Skin. He blinked up at the Noah who gave him a knowing smile before he promptly dropped Allen next to Bookman's Apprentice.

Before he could recover, Allen felt the whisper of a Tease fluttering against his cheek before leaving. He shuddered at the sensation and sat up. The Noah were gone, and each of the Exorcists had been tossed aside, with the exception of General Theodore.

Suddenly Allen found himself in the suffocating embrace of his red headed friend.

"You're alive!" Lavi cried out with varying degrees of relief, disbelief, and happiness. The young General tried to detach the arms around his waist, almost certain that one of the red-head's arms had been broken from the force of Skin's weight.

"L-Lavi, I don't think you should be moving like this-"

"Get back here you fool!" shouted a familiar voice. Allen's eyes widened and he felt Crown Clown wrap around him and his friend just as he saw a flash of light. "Die!"

Allen winced as he felt the force of the attack on his cloak. It was almost as strong as a General's and had a bite to it. The young man slowly lowered his Innocence so he could glare at the attacker. Sure enough, it was Kanda.

"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" he asked bluntly. While he sounded angry, Allen found it hard to read his expression.

"Who said I died?" the General demanded. "I just needed to take a break!"

Kanda 'tched' and looked around. The frown on his face deepened when he saw that none of Noahs had remained. He scowled at the General, accusing him.

"It's not my fault!" Allen snapped.

Allen watched as Lavi carefully placed Lenalee on the ground, making sure that the girl was comfortable. Miranda's Innocence had temporarily healed everyone's injuries. Most of the members of the two Exorcist units had begun to sort through food supplies and tend to the fires. Marie was tending to the few injuries that had not been healed. Kanda was the only one that remained a good distance away, for he was keeping an eye out for possible enemies.

"It does my heart good to see you alive my friend," General Theodore said from behind Allen. The young General turned, smiling as he shook the older man's hand. "It never ceases to amaze me how dismissive you are with the safety of your own life."

Allen chuckled uneasily. "Is that a compliment or an insult?"

"It is my sadness, Allen. You are young, and I hate to see you continue fighting when your body has become tired," Theodore replied. "I am not the only one who thinks this; you possess many friends who share this worry."

Allen blushed with shame.

"I-I know that," he murmured. He didn't feel that he needed to explain himself to Theodore. The man had already known him for a while and understood that tenacity was simply a part of his personality. Allen's gaze wandered to Lenalee, the emotion in his eyes changing abruptly. "The Earl is going to target her now. She has the potential of carrying the Heart, more than anyone before."

Theodore put his hand on Allen's shoulder. "You forget that you have the same potential as she does. He will target both of you now because you are special." The older man's grip tightened. "And I know you don't want to hear this, but you need to be protected as much as she does."

Allen opened his mouth to protest.

"Yes, I know how powerful you are," Theodore interrupted. "But your power comes at a terrible price. You are like Yu. Using too much power will drain your precious life force."

Allen reluctantly conceded with General Theodore's argument. He hated to admit it, but that was the truth that all parasitic Accommodators were forced to live with. And as much as he hated the idea of being protected, he would rather take that option than lose precious time he could spend with Tyki.

"Allen, I think Lenalee is waking up!" Lavi called. The young man hurried over to his friends, gladly burying the content of his conversation until it was in the farthest reaches of his mind.

He arrived just in time to see the girl's eyes open weakly. For a moment, she simply stared into his face.

"You're alive," she whispered, voice cracking a little. Lenalee reached out to touch his face. "Welcome back, Allen."

Tears ran down the young man's face. He suddenly felt that he had betrayed her, all of his comrades upon hearing those sweet and kind words. Because he knew that his family had caused her to be in this condition. And the worst thing about that was he didn't even regret his love for them, or the new relationship he had just begun with Tyki. It hurt to whisper those next words because they were lies that burned his mouth like acid. "It's good to be back."

Suddenly a circle opened beneath Allen, a black star-shaped void appeared. Before he even had time to breathe in, Allen was falling alone in the darkness. He could hear his friends calling his name. Then everything became black.

**And that is the last bit for this chapter. It's a little late, but I have a valid reason. I've been working on my Bleach Fanfic and have decided that until I finish it, or come within the last few chapters, I will work on it. I am sorry to say that this one will not be updated for a while, but I am working as fast as I can on the other one and I hope that I can finish it as quickly as possible. **

'


	10. Chapter 10

**Okay, I said I wouldn't update this until I finished the Bleach Fic, but I could notresist, AND I had an announcement. There is a poll for which DGM Fanfic will be made next, after the Bleach. **

**Chapter 10**

**A Family Chat **

Allen slowly came to, surprised to find himself on a couch in a strange room that resembled a personal study. It possessed an unusual number of portraits on the wall. He looked down, surprised to find a pillow had been placed beneath his head and his coat draped over him like a blanket.

"So you're finally awake?" Allen's head whipped around at once as he sought out the owner of that familiar voice. His eyes fell on a Noah kneeling on a chair to look out the window.

"Road!" he exclaimed. The girl turned to grin at him.

"Hello Allen," she said with warmth and a little bit of a teasing tone. "Did you miss your big sister?"

The young man did not answer. Instead the he threw off the blanket and enveloped Road in a bear-hug. The force knocked her into the window a little, but she laughed and took it as an affirmative answer. She wrapped her arms around her brother as gently as if he were her son. Her expression became loving.

"I missed you," she whispered. Allen looked into her eyes, warmed by the honest tenderness he saw there.

"I missed you too."

Suddenly someone walked in, this person making Allen leap away from Road excitedly. The girl pouted, crossing her arms as Allen ran over to Tyki.

"Guess that's my cue to leave," she muttered. She got out of the chair, winking at the couple as she passed by them. They were not quite touching yet, but she could sense their eagerness. "Keep it at first base, yeah?"

Both males watched as she left with blank faces. If Allen had not spent so many years living with General Cross, he would be blushing furiously. As it was, he was a little disturbed that she had to say something like that when she looked so young.

"I swear, it should be illegal to talk like that when you look so young," Tyki muttered, voicing Allen's very thoughts. The young man raised an eyebrow at his companion.

"You seem to have forgotten that I lived with Cross." Allen's eyes sparked as he suddenly remembered something. He started rummaging through his pockets for a good while before he found what he was looking for. The General held out the objects in his hand. "Here. I wanted you to have your cards back, and I thought you could wear my button-as a good luck charm."

Tyki looked at the deck as it slid to his hand. And then, seeing Allen's gesture, dipped his head down so that the cord could be slipped around his neck. Once the chunk of metal had been settled down onto his chest, the Noah lifted it up, smiling softly as he caught sight of Allen's name. He looked up towards his lover. "Thank you."

Allen was a little embarrassed so he shifted uncomfortably when a hand reached up to touch his cheek. "These are my gifts to you, Tyki. I don't want you to let go of them so easily, like you did the cards."

Tyki tilted Allen's head up as carefully as possible. A moment passed by as they simply stared at one another. The Noah bent down and pressed his mouth against Allen's in a gentle kiss. The Exorcist's eyes fluttered close when he felt the familiar lips pressing against his own. He parted his lips a little, confused when Tyki pulled away.

Gloved fingers caressed the pale cheeks. Tyki was pleased to see that Allen's eyes had dilated slightly. "For you, I always make an exception."

The Noah's gaze wandered down to the pale throat, where he could still see the scarlet ribbon. He usually thought the color was one that matched how he saw Allen, but at the moment, it brought to mind a certain person. "Who was that Exorcist I saw you with earlier."

"Lavi," Allen replied. At first he was confused as to why Tyki had asked about the red head, and then he realized. "He's a friend. He seemed surprised that I was alive, though I'm not entirely sure why. Could you have something to do with that?"

Tyki averted his gaze ruefully. He had implied that he was the one to kill Allen, in order to stir up a little mischief. The way humans reacted towards the death of a comrade or a friend intrigued him. It was an opportunity he could not resist passing up.

"Sorry, Shounen," he apologized. The young General waved him away.

"Since no one was severely injured, there is nothing to worry about. We fight with each other all the time," he replied. "Anyways, how did I get here? The last thing I remember was Lenalee waking up. We were under a bridge, and then…"

Allen's head whipped around as he glared at his enemy. "You wouldn't."

Tyki rubbed the back of his neck uneasily.

"I told them not to, that you would get mad," he said defensively. "But the Earl told Lero to transport you onto the Ark, so we could all talk together as a family without you getting in trouble with the Black Order."

The General rubbed his face in his hands roughly. He groaned."Is there anything else I need to know?"

"Well…you weren't the only Exorcist that came onto the Ark," Tyki admitted slowly. When he felt Allen glaring at him again, he winced. "We accidentally took four Exorcists, and one human. They should be waking up now, like you did."

"Is that so? Then how are you going to deal with them when they come looking for me?" he demanded. Tyki sighed.

"It's Road's idea; she didn't tell me everything, not since wehad to improvise your kidnapping." The Noah of Pleasure took Allen's hand in his. "Come on, it's not like she will kill them."

Allen wasn't so sure about that.

After much coercion, Allen persuaded Tyki that he was awake enough to be led to the tower where the rest of the Noah family was. He had expected the long table, and the food set out. What he did not expect was to see that every member of the family present, including ones he did not recognize. All were present- Adam, Lulubell, Sheryl, a pair of twins he didn't know, and Road- except for one.

"Where is Skin?" Allen asked. The words had been blurted without a second thought and he quickly swallowed when all of the eyes were turned on him. He suddenly felt shy. Here was his family, his enemy, his former captors. He could still feel the love he held for them, and yet he did not know how any of them saw him. As a son, a nephew; as a prisoner, or the enemy. He simply did not know.

"He is fighting the Exorcist Kanda Yuu," replied the Earl. He gestured to one of the empty chairs closer to his right side. "Come join us; we have a few matters to discuss."The young General glanced at his lover for reassurance. Tyki gave him a small nod. Then he took Allen by the arm and led them to the seat which the Earl had motioned to. Allen slid in next to Sheryl. For a moment, their eyes met and Allen found himself teleported back to a time where the two sat as father and son in the study. Reading together in silence as the storm raged on outside. But then the moment passed and Sheryl looked away.

Tyki settled beside Allen and they held each others' hands below the table.

"What is it you wanted to talk about?" Allen asked as he tried to focus on the patriarch alone. He was not quite able to mask his nerves either. The Earl noticed and he chuckled, picking up a fork.

"We can talk while eating," he said. "I heard that the Asian Branch was trying to help you gain eight and I thought it would be a good idea to make sure that their efforts were not in vain."

Allen blushed. He was surprised to know the Earl knew about such an insignificant matter, but he was also touched by the genuine concern that was being shown to him. So the young man picked up hiw own utensil and began to saw at the plate of food set before him. It did not escape his notice that most of the food consisted of proteins, cars, and fatty products. All of which he assumed made people gain weight.

"Who is this person?" demanded the dark haired twin.

"Hee, who?"

"Allen, meet the twins David and Jasper," the Earl said brightly. "They are two of our newer Noahs and have been with us for only a few months. I believe you have something in common."

"Hee! Cross's Apprentice!" the blonde screeched with an accusing finger. Allen stiffened. He really did not want to remember General Cross, and definitely did not want to be associated with that man.

"What do you know of Cross?" he asked warily. They brought out two thick pads of paper, showing them to Allen. The young man felt a shiver run up his spine when he recognized the slips as debts.

"He disappears without a trace!" cried David.

"And he leaves behind debts!" Jasper added.

"What do _you_ know about him?" they demanded in unison. Allen simply smirked at them, his darker side drawing out.

"I know far better than you do," he said sweetly. "I know every trick to place a debt on someone, how to make women beg for your company, which wine is the best to buy, and how to make _other people_ disappear without leaving a single hair behind. Would you like me to show you?"

Everyone in the room felt the temperature drop in the room as the aura around the young man darkened considerably. Tyki felt a roll of sweat run down the side of his cheek and he shuddered. "Are you really fifteen?"

"Are you really scared?" Allen retorted. There was a mean glint in his eye, but also an amused one. It was Sheryl who pulled his attention away from Tyki.

"Putting all of that aside, I have a question for you Allen Walker: Do you see us as Ash did?"

Allen's aura dissipated as quickly as it came. He hesitated to answer that question.

"Yes and no," he finally answered. "Ash's memories are now my own, but his emotions are not. I see you in my mind and feel differently about you. Whereas Ash saw Skin as a cousin, I see him as a brother. I like him more than Ash did."

"Then what do you see us as?" the Earl prompted. He seemed curious.

"I see Lulubell as a close aunt, too motherly to be distant. Tyki is Tyki. Sheryl is still my father. Road is my sister." Allen smiled at the Earl a little shyly. "And you feel like my father or a grandfather."

Silence spanned across the table as the General's words sank in. The longer time passed without anyone talking, the more Allen began to suspect his feelings had not gotten across. He cleared his throat.

"What I mean to say it that you all are my family. I love you."

Sheryl's hands flew to his mouth, Lulubell sprayed water across the twins and began coughing. Road's jaw dropped and even Tyki looked shocked.

"What?" Allen asked in confusion.

"It is nothing," the Earl assured him. "We simply did not expect you to say something so straightforward."

The General scowled as everyone began to collect themselves once more.

"Ah, what I meant to say was: we understand Allen. We know that you love us. We also know that you are conflicted because you see the Order as your family as well," the Earl explained gently. Then his expression changed. "So we kidnapped you and lock you in Sheryl's mansion!"

Tyki pinched the bridge of his nose. Allen's face went blank.

"Are you kidding?" he demanded as calmly as possible.

"No, he isn't," Sheryl replied.

"You can't do that! What's-" Allen's protest died when he saw the tears running down the Earl's very human face. One by one the Noah began to cry. First Adam. Then Tyki. Sheryl, Road, the Twins, Lulubell.

"It would seem Skin has perished," Adam announced. The members of his family touched their cheeks in confusion, so he elaborated. "The Noah inside of us weeps, in the order of the Apostles."

Allen Felt himself being turned away from them.

"We don't want you to watch us Allen, for what the Noah feels, you would be able to see," Tyki whispered. "And it is hell."

Allen obeyed their wishes without question and kept his gaze on the sky he could see outside. An artificial sky. His eyes began to burn and the sky blurred. A wetness slid down his cheek, first one and then the other. Allen reached up to wipe it away in confusion.

"Are you crying, Allen?" Adam asked.

"Yes…but I don't know why," he murmured. It couldn't be that Skin's death was affecting him, could it? He still felt so very numb from hearing the news.

"Turn around Allen," the Earl ordered softly. Allen turned around to face the Noah. And he saw a shocking myriad of emotions. Dreams; lost. Desires; gone. Pleasure; dead. Bonds; broken. Lust; denied. And the last emotion he saw in the Earl's eyes-

**An that's the end. Remember, I have a poll up on which DGM fic gets posted after I finish the Bleach Fic. Please take it! Both are rather short stories compared to the others but decent length, I promise!**

**To those who live in the U.S. : Beware of SOPA**


	11. Chapter 11

**Going over this, I feel as if I have to edit a lot of this and make it go in a different direction. Since I neglected that other fanfic for so long, I felt as if you guys needed an apology chapter. Especially since that last one was a cliffhanger. **

**Chapter 11**

**A Kiss Equals Hypnotism?**

Allen opened his eyes slowly. He blinked in the darkness, the objects blurred at first and then clearing up. He frowned and began to approach what he could see appeared to be a mirror reflecting light. The closer he came, the more clear the images became. He stopped in confusion, than gasped.

"What the hell?" he demanded angrily. "What did Road do?"

**^%^%#$**&%**

"Is this wise, Earl?" Tyki asked as he cradled the General's body in his arms. He could see that Allen slept quite peacefully under Road's spell, which was a relief. When he had seen the Earl's expression, he began to scream in an agony Tyki did not understand.

"Would you prefer him to remember what he saw in all of our eyes? A human has never seen that before; when a member dies, our eyes relay the true emotions of Noah, and it is concentrated from so many deaths, that even an Exorcist would go mad from seeing it. Is that what you want?" the Earl asked.

Tyki shook his head solemnly. He lifted his head up to where the twins were shouting in their search for tissues. He blinked in momentary surprise.

"I never knew your tear were black!" he remarked. They glared at him.

"Stupid Tyki!"

"Our makeup is running!"

Lulubell approached them, carrying a few towels in her arms. The twins left Tyki alone in exchange for wiping their faces off. Once they were distracted, Tyki turned back to the Earl.

"Why did you ask Allen to face us if he was crying?" he said softly. "Why risk him losing his sanity?"

"There was something I needed to know," the Earl replied. "Something about Allen crying didn't feel right. He loved Skin, which could be why he cried. But there was also another possibility..."

"What possibility?" Tyki wanted to know. His heart raced, full of the hope that perhaps Allen had shown signs of being a Noah.

"I do not wish to say. After all, it brings to mind a betrayal that burns as much today as it did thirty five years ago." The bulbous man tilted his head. "Do not worry Tyki; Noah or not, Allen Walker is still family. Nothing will ever change that."

Tyki wiped his eyes. He didn't know how he should take the Earl's words. Could Allen be a Noah? If so, he hoped it wouldn't be Skin's incarnation. Wrath was always a powerful and tragic embodiment that controlled its host, turning that person into a puppet.

"Exorcist or Noah, It doesn't matter to me," he declared. Tyki scowled as Road came prancing over. She knelt down next to her uncle and peered into her step-brother's face.

"Is he sleeping well?" she wanted to know.

"No thanks to you. What exactly did you do?"

"I gave him a dreamless sleep, and right now I am erasing his memory of what he saw in the Earl's face. And whatever else he may have seen." The girl looked over at the twins. "You two should probably go keep the Exorcists occupied; we have to hold them off for Father, Lulubell, and the Earl to leave."

They complained, but Road summoned a door behind them, the doors opening. She smiled sweetly. "Go in, or I will make you one of my dolls."

The two left at once. The Noah of Dreams gestured to the young General's limp body.

"We should probably give him a cover story," she suggested. "After all, he will be returning with the Exorcists to the Black Order, right Millennium?"

The Earl nodded. "Yes. For as long as he is with the Exorcists, he is safe. None of us will hurt him, and none of the Exorcists will treat him as the enemy."

Tyki slipped his hand in his pocket. He brought out the small bag which contained the golden golemn, Timcampy. He put it in the coat pocket of Allen's uniform, his own gift in return of the playing cards and the button. The Noah of Pleasure wanted to see Allen's face light up with joy upon seeing a friend he had not seen in two years. But that was not to be.

The Earl knelt down, kissing Allen's forehead in farewell. Lulubell came over to pay her respects. But the one who gave the most tender gesture was Sheryl. The prime minister, when he came over, knelt down slowly. He looked at Allen and with an uncertain hand brushed back some of the white hair gently, as a parent would caress the head of a sleeping baby.

The Earl took Lero, summoning a portal. One by one the members of the Noah family left until only Tyki and Road remained with Allen. Tyki lifted his head up.

"What is your plan?" he asked carefully. The girl smiled. Without answering by use of her voice, she leaned down towards the General and kissed him on the mouth.

**#%R(*(&&%**

The Exorcists entered the room, looking worse for wear. Tyki beckoned them forward.

"Come. Sit with us," he ordered. "There is less than an hour before the Ark is completely downloaded."

The group came forward reluctantly. The first one to see Allen was Lavi; he knew at once there was something wrong.

"What did you do to him?" he demanded with an accusing eye.

"We took him of course! He didn't wake up until a few minutes ago. I thought he would be better as my doll," Road sang. She danced away from her chair, coming to sit on Allen's lap. Her eyes sparkled dangerously. "One kiss...and he has become mine."

Tyki ignored the jealousy he felt in his chest and decided to direct his attention to the Exorcist group. To his surprise there were only two Exorcists, and one human. The human's expression threw him off; it was angered, disgusted, scornful.

"_This_ is a General?" he demanded, pointing a finger at Allen's slumped form, whose grey eyes were dull and lifeless. "If he can be captured so easily, then he must be weaker than I thought. I cannot believe that the Order would give power to someone who cannot even defend himself."

Tyki's face rested on his hand. The free one lay on his lap, clenched beneath the table. His eyes narrowed onto the human who had spoken.

"How old are you?" he asked brusquely. Chaoji blinked.

"Twenty," he replied automatically.

"Look at your companions. You are older than all three of these Exorcists; did you know that?" Tyki questioned. Chaoji stammered an incoherent sentence, which the Noah ignored. "Out of these three Exorcists, the youngest is only fifteen, and he happens to be a General. Is he not young? He has barely entered adolescence, and yet the Order has announced him old enough to not only fight in a war, but to be stronger than the other Exorcists. He fights harder than the girl does, and even harder than the boy, does he not?"

Lenalee looked ashamed, casting her gaze down to her lap. Lavi however held his head up high.

"Yes," he answered in a quiet voice.

"Not only that, but he wields parasitic Innocence." Tyki laughed loudly, even though his eyes were dead serious. "Every time he fights in this war, his own weapon draws energy from his body, shortening his lifespan little by little. He knows all of this, and yet he still fights."

Tyki leaned forward, his eyes piercing though Chaoji. "Fifteen years old, and he has been killing Akuma for five years longer than you. What right do you have to call him weak?"

The Chinese man looked away, a drop of sweat rolling down his face. Lavi watched the entire scene, trying to remain as impartial as possible. But he couldn't. His mind kept asking why. _Why would a Noah defend an Exorcist?_ It made him question what sort of relationship the Noah had with Allen, if it was one sided, forged by a deep respect. Could there be more to the so called 'evil side'?

_Did you record it Bookman?_ Lavi's eyes widened as he heard that foreign voice inside his head. He turned to Road, shuddering upon seeing her conspiratorial smile. _If anyone could discover this secret, it would be you._

"Are you ready to earn your freedom, Exorcists?" Tyki asked. His voice had become pleasant once more.

"What do we need to do?" Lenalee asked in a quavering voice. Tyki leaned back in his chair, smiling as they all shared that same, wary look in their eyes.

"One person can ruin the Earl's plan," he explained. "The Fourteenth Noah, a _traitor_ to our family, left his will to one of your people. I want you to find him."

Lenalee cringed, knowing that his request would be a difficult task. She hoped that they knew who they were looking for. "Who?"

Road hopped off of Allen's chair with a tinkling laugh.

"Marian Cross."

**I forgot to tell you on the poll! The next DGM story will be relative short, and sweet! I felt like doing something light hearted, and not too drawn out. Just thought you should know. Oh, and a plot bunny came to mind, one for Lavi. Whenever I get to that, I think you all will really like that one. It should be interesting. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed my apology-chapter. The poll is still open!**


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